Cardiff

Cardiff, the capital city of Wales is a beautiful city by the sea which has a lot to offer for everyone.

We have grown up just ten minutes away from Cardiff in the seaside town of Penarth, but Cardiff is where we first starting going out drinking and clubbing, visiting restaurants, where we shop and now in our more mature years has lots of family attractions for us to visit.

It is a pretty unique city in that it has a stadium and castle right in the centre of the city. It is a special place on a Welsh rugby day when the streets are full of fans. Cardiff also has it’s own airport which is small but we use it frequently with flights via Amsterdam as immigration queues are always small and makes travelling with kids very easy.

As we now live in Dubai, we get to see the city with new eyes every time we return. Tourists in our own city. Here are some tips from local tourists…..

Cardiff Castle

This year (2019) was the first time we paid a visit to Cardiff Castle, other than a Paul Weller gig in the grounds about 3 years ago. We took a train into Cardiff from Penarth and walked down Westgate Street past the Principality Stadium and WRU shop to the castle. Dylan and Elis loved spotting all the animals climbing the castle walls on our walk up to the castle.

We bought the Castle Ticket for 2 adults (Claire took grandma on this trip) and the boys were free (under 5s) and started off with a walk around the Castle Apartments. The boys were completely awed by the opulence of the banqueting room and couldn’t believe there was a golden ceiling. We also spent a good 15 minutes examining the mural on the banqueting room wall, pointing out the horses, knights, princes, kings and queens. The big library was also a point of interest ‘why are the books so old mummy?’. There were audio guides available but we didn’t use them this time, opting to read the information around the place instead.

We moved onto the Keep and managed to climb all the steps successfully, although the final climb to the highest tower was a bit hairy at times. Thankfully little boys also have little feet so their feet fit perfectly on the narrow steps. The views from the top of the keep are pretty spectacular with sights over to City Hall, The Principality Stadium, Sophia Gardens and Bute Park.

The keep was a highlight for us, we were showing the boys the narrow windows that were used by soldiers to shoot bow and arrows through. They loved pretending to be knights chasing each other around and shooting their arrows down to the ground.

All the climbing and walking was exhausting for little people so we stopped at the tea room for a lovely cuppa, scone and cookies for the boys. They have tables and chairs out by the grass on the grounds and of course our little monsters spent most of the ‘chill-time’ chasing sea gulls off the grass and disturbing other visitors’ peace and quiet.

We finished off our visit with a trip to the air raid shelter in the castle walls. Dylan and Elis ran in enthusiastically looking at the old wartime posters on the walls and beds in the hallways before the air-raid siren went off and scared the living daylights out of Elis who was screaming in fright! Pretty funny for Mummy and Grandma! They have set it up well and I took lots of pictures for Phil who as a history teacher might be able to use some of them in class. There was a makeshift kitchen and bedroom, lots of old music and Winston Churchill speeches being played out over the tannoy as well as the air-raid siren going off every now and again.

We finished off with a walk back over the top of the wall past all the lookout towers and flags and a run on the grass. A thoroughly enjoyable way to spend a few hours when in Cardiff.

The castle is easily accessible by bus or train into the centre of Cardiff. Adults are £13.50 and children under 5 are free. If you live or work in Cardiff you can apply for a Cardiff Key card which gives you unlimited access to the castle throughout the year. You can find out more on the Cardiff Castle website.

Cardiff Bay

Tiger Bay, as it was previously known, had a huge makeover in the early 2000’s to turn it into a commercial, waterfront hub. A barrage was built with a walkway linking Cardiff Bay to Penarth, this is continuously being developed and now has cycle paths, a park and numerous information and history points along the way. Mermaid Quay as it is known today (or The Bay to locals) is an area of activity with several restaurants, bars, cinema, shops, apartments, The National Assembly building and The Millennium Centre – a large theatre which holds productions from the West End and around the world.

The barrage was built to create permanent high water and has a bridge that opens and closes to let boats in and out. It is a popular walkway for people living in Penarth, it is a pleasant 30-40 minute stroll over to Cardiff Bay with incredible views of the Bay and back into Penarth. A lovely place to take your scooters and bikes and get some fresh air.

Dylan and Elis loved stumbling upon an enormous crocodile and book, which we had recently read in an ode to Roald Dahl who spent his childhood in Cardiff (where his book Boy is set). There was a bench made out of a book which they found highly amusing and were happy to sit and take a rest on for a while.

They also particularly enjoyed the ‘pirate park’ which is a pirate themed park about half way across. They spent ages climbing up and down the climbing frames and boats and looking out to sea screaming ‘arghhhh’.

Further along there was information boards and displays explaining some of Cardiff Bay’s history as the Docks with the coal mining industry and the affluency during the Industrial Age.

The final, stoney path dropping into the Norwegian Church and Senedd Building feels longer than the rest of the walk as there’s not much to look at and it is just one long, straight road. So we had to come up with some games and songs to keep our tired boys’ legs moving.

We stopped at Cardiff Bay Beach for a kids meal of hot-dog and chips, who knew all that fresh air and walking could make such little boys so hungry! Thankfully the boys had visited The Beach the previous week with their Daddy and some friends so they had been on all the rides – fun house, tea cups, dodgems, played on the sand and won some toys so we managed to avoid spending another load of money and went further up to the main part where the restaurants are. Cardiff Bay Beach is fantastic entertainment every year, it is always busy and the actual sandy beach and paddling pool are free, kids meals were £4 so it can still be a cheap day out.

We found some games out for the kids to have a go on outside the restaurants – Connect 4, Chess and Jenga and spent some time with these before meeting a cousin for lunch at Bully’s. The sun was shining, the food was good, the wine was cold and there was space nearby for the kids to run and play. Win, win!

We opted to get the boat back to Penarth – £15 for a family ticket of 2 adults and 2 kids, so Mummy and Grandma took the boys whilst Daddy walked back. The boat does a little scenic tour up Penarth Marina so Daddy ended up actually reaching the boat docking in Penarth quicker than we were on the boat. The boat runs every half an hour from The Bay to Penarth, next to the Custom House Restaurant and it was a fantastic novelty for the boys which they thoroughly enjoyed. Another great few hours spent out in the sun!

The Bay always has activities going on, The Millennium Centre lobby usually has some kind of activities too if you check ahead. There’s plenty of family friendly restaurants and the barrage is a great way to get the legs walking and lots to see along the way. Whichever way you walk it (Cardiff-Penarth or Penarth-Cardiff) there is a cafe and restaurant each end and you can always get the boat back if the legs are tired.

Roath Park

Roath Park is a popular, Victorian park on the outskirts of the city centre. There is a big lake in the centre of the park with a path great for walking and pram pushing around the outside. On the lake stands the iconic lighthouse which was built as a memorial to Captain Scott who sailed to the Atlantic from Cardiff in 1910. Pedlo boats and kayaks can be hired to paddle around the lake which can get popular on a sunny day.

There is a kids play park with big slides from the top path down to the park which holds a particular memory for us as kids racing up and down there numerous times on cold, Autumn days. There are plenty of spots for a picnic and regular ice cream vans parked up as well as an ice cream shop and a cafe on site. There are also small gardens and a wildlife garden behind the lake to encourage local wildlife.

Numerous swans and swans surround the lake looking for bread and crumbs from visitors and can get a bit over friendly. Elis in particular got pretty scared when we took him as a toddler and a swan started chasing us down the path!

A lovely way to spend a sunny afternoon in Cardiff, to let off some steam and get those steps in! Just be wary that the park will get overcrowded during school holidays in the sunshine.

Rugby

Welsh people are passionate about rugby, it is a rite of passage and when Wales are playing a match in Cardiff, the whole city gets involved whether it’s having tickets to the game or just heading into Cardiff with your friends and watching in one of the pubs and bars around the city centre. As we’ve mentioned, Cardiff is unique for having such a big stadium (74,000 capacity) right in the middle of the city, it is a stumbling block from Central Train station. The height of Welsh rugby is during February and March when the 6 Nations tournament takes place (Wales, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and France) and unfortunately for us it is not a time when we ever find ourselves in Wales. We were overjoyed this summer to hear that some Rugby World Cup 2019 warm up games would be played in Cardiff during August, and Wales v England (the ultimate grudge match for a Welsh fan) was going to be on when we were home. So we got some tickets, bought the boys new rugby t-shirts and headed into Cardiff to let them experience a typical match day.

St Mary Street, Westgate Street and The Hayes was teaming with fans, BBC Wales were doing a live broadcast, buskers were playing, people were standing in the sunshine drinking pints and police horses were patrolling. Myself and Phil were lapping up the atmosphere feeling ever so patriotic to be a part of this day. The boys however, were not playing ball! They were tired walking so much, wanted food and there were queues everywhere, were too little and being unwittingly bashed about when trying to go into the pubs and they couldn’t understand why were there so early and they couldn’t go into the stadium yet.

However, once we got in there, saw the fire and fireworks, the brass band, the soldiers and hearing the Welsh national anthem they were enthralled again. We sat in the family/no alcohol stand and only paid £10 each for the boys (£40 each for us) which was a bargain and they settled in to watch a Welsh win! Perffaith!

The Principality runs Stadium Tours daily on the door, £13.75 for adults, £9.90 for kids or £41.80 for a family ticket. More information can be found on The Principality Stadium website. A top tip for families visiting the stadium – head to Cathedral Road before/after the game for a drink or something to eat, the pubs are slightly quieter and the family stand is that end of Cardiff. If you find yourself in Cardiff during a match day go into the city centre just to experience the Welsh traditions, singing and hospitality – you will have a fantastic time.

Mountain View Ranch (Caerphilly)

A huge ranch about a 20minute drive from Cardiff City Centre, an excellent place to visit with kids but you would need a car to get there easily.

The ranch has big open fields, a fantastic park, goats to feed, tipi village, enchanted wood fairy land with fairies to seek out and Wales’ only Gruffalo trail, which was the main reason for our visit. There is plenty to keep the kids occupied for a whole day and you can bring a picnic and take advantage of the open spaces. We have visited the last 2 years we have been back in Wales and had a great day out both times.

When you enter there are goats who love a bit of grass or leaves off the trees, our boys are animal obsessed and it took a long time to drag them away from here and on further down to The Gruffalo Trail.

The Gruffalo Trail takes about 30minutes, there is a guide to follow with footsteps along the way and objects and animals for the children to discover. It was such a novelty for our boys to be running freely amongst the trees, splashing over puddles and racing over the grass coming from the Dubai heat. The first year we were there we happened to arrive at the right time for a storytelling where someone was dressed up as the Big Bad Wolf telling The Gruffalo story and really engaging the kids, something to look out for sure.

Fairy land is also an exciting area for little ones, a massive tree with little fairy houses hidden away and then a trail with fairies to look out for. It certainly keeps them moving looking out for all the fairy houses high up in the trees.

Another hit was Tipi Village with big tipi style tents for the kids to run in and out of and play in. A great resting spot and something different for them to explore.

We finished off with a picnic on a hill close to the woods where the 3 Bear pods are located. Which, again for us expats missing the green, green grass of home it was a beautiful sight. The boys wrestled around in the grass, rolled down the hills and couldn’t believe how many trees they could spot – the simple things.

This is definitely a place to add to your list if you are visiting Cardiff with kids and have some good weather and a car. Summer holiday prices are £7 per adult or child (under 2s are free) if you can go off-peak (week days not in school holidays) it is only £4.50. They do family packages too. It is open 9.30-5pm every day, you can take a picnic and there is a fairly large cafe on site also.

The Coconut Tree – Restaurant

A Sri Lankan street food restaurant in the heart of Cardiff City Centre on Mill Lane. It was our anniversary and the grandparents had very kindly agreed to babysit for a few hours so we could head out for dinner. We had seen a brief article about this restaurant on Wales Online before we left Dubai and Sri Lanka being a country very close to our hearts, visiting there 4 (Phil 5) times we wanted to make sure we tried it whilst back in Cardiff. So we hopped on the train from Penarth (12 minutes, only 3 stops) and headed into Cardiff.

It is very easy to spot on Mill Lane as it has a red tuk tuk embedded into the wall. We walked into a small, bustling restaurant with hardly any empty tables on a Tuesday night and were instantly pleased.

The menu has a great assortment of typical Sri Lankan dishes from devilled prawns, hoppers, coconut sambal, dhal, kotthu and famous chicken curry to goat curry….our mouths were watering! There is the option of spicy or Sri Lankan spicy as well which we loved, being chilli fiends. They are all served tapas style and range from £2.50 to £8 per dish. We opted for dhal, squid and prawn curry, chicken curry, chick peas, sri lankan fried rice and roti which was more than enough for the 2 of us.

There was also a great selection of cocktails using the famous arrack and typical Sri Lankan tastes of coconut, mango and cardamom. We sampled a couple and enjoyed a nice bottle of wine – it was our anniversary after all.

The service was great, everyone was friendly, it was very relaxed and casual, there were lots of little touches and Sri Lankan nostalgia for us around the place….and most importantly the food was delicious! We would definitely recommend you checking out this place if you are ever in Cardiff.

Click here to go back to read about some of our other adventures in Wales and the UK.

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