With the family car having failed its MOT, I panicked about getting it fixed in time for our holiday to Cornwall without it costing the earth.
As an alternative, I looked into car hire and was surprised to find just how cheap car rental could be.
Being lucky enough to live close to an airport, we found there were many places we could collect a car from so we booked the best deal we could find for a trip away without any transport worries.
We decided to base ourselves in Liskeard, staying in a forest cabin in Deer Park.
The kids absolutely loved sleeping deep in the woods, listening to owls hooting at night and seeing the stars light up the nights’ sky as we sat out in our sleeping bags on the deck.
We spent a fair amount of time just exploring where we were staying.
The best thing about our cabin was that even though we were back to a natural way of life, we still had access to all life’s mod-cons.
Heading west, we took a day trip out to Bodmin to visit the infamous moor though we couldn’t spot the beast.
We did, however, take off on the Cheesewring Trail which took us off for a 2.5 mile walk around the Tor.
Here we clambered over stones and enjoyed looking out over the moor, and it was the perfect place to settle down for a picnic.
Further west on the coast, we delved into the world of King Arthur at Tintagel Castle.
Sitting on top of the cliffs, the castle looms large as you approach it.
If you’re feeling energetic, you can take the steep walk to the castle or use the Land Rover service which only costs £1.
Our favourite part was heading down into Merlin’s Cave but make sure you visit before the tide comes in.
The ruins really fire the imagination and the views out to sea are spectacular.
There was lots of walking involved so we all slept well that night.
Our main reason for visiting this region was to go to The Eden Project.
A 40 minute drive from Liskeard, we couldn’t wait to explore the two biomes in this centre which is the perfect family day out.
We loved the Rainforest biome, filled with lush vegetation but be warned, it’s extremely hot and humid so isn’t suitable for the very young.
Make sure you use the many water fountains as you make your way through.
It’s the perfect mix of education and fun and is as exciting for the kids as the adults.
We finished off our holiday with a trip down to Looe on the coast and had a great, inexpensive day out.
At the harbour, we watched fishermen loading their catch for the day and were lucky enough to see some grey seals on the east of the harbour.
I also went back to my childhood by indulging in some crabbing and at the beach in West Looe, we explored the rock pools- I didn’t want the day to end.
Natalie Likness’ love of travel was introduced to her from an early age due to a trip abroad before she was even born! Having close family and making friends across the world, she has continued to travel ever since.
