Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Chic wallpaper and light-wood furniture set off Rhiwafallen's
stylish, intimate
dining room.
The three-course fixed-price menu (£35) changes seasonally, but din-
ers are guaranteed the finest local produce combined with contemporary flair. Expect
the likes of twice-cooked pork belly served with truffled potatoes and wilted greens.
The restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, and on Sunday for lunch;
advance reservations are essential.
Llandwrog, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL54 5SW. www.rhiwafallen.co.uk.
&
01286/830172.
3 units.
£100-£150 double. Rates include Welsh breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. No children under 16.
Ame-
nities:
Restaurant.
In room:
TV/DVD, hair dryer.
Seiont Manor
Situated amid tranquil countryside between Caernarfon and
Llanberis, this former farmstead of a Georgian manor house has been tastefully con-
verted into a honeycomb of spacious guest rooms, each with a good-size bathroom,
and all with views over 60 hectares (150 acres) of parkland. Not all the modern
touches work, but the overall impression is of a place that guarantees seclusion, a
sense of style, and some of the best leisure facilities in the area. Each of the rooms
has a small balcony or a terrace; two are reserved for families.
Dining in the
Llwyn y Brain
restaurant
guarantees classic local flavors and
ingredients like Welsh Black beef and salmon. Set dinner menus cost £31.
Llanrug, Caernarfon, Gwynedd LL55 2AQ. www.handpickedhotels.co.uk.
&
01286/673366.
Fax
01286/672840. 28 units. £95-£165 double; from £145 suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. From Caernar-
fon, head east on the A4086 for 2 miles.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; babysitting; health club; indoor
heated pool; room service.
In room:
TV/DVD, CD player/library, hair dryer, no phone, Wi-Fi (free).
19
THE ISLE OF ANGLESEY
Holyhead: 27 miles NW of Caernarfon, 215 miles N of Cardiff; Beaumaris: 26 miles E of Holyhead
This is an island of many names: Ynys Môn to the Welsh, the Romans called it Mona,
and these days it's usually just
Anglesey
—“Mother of Wales” and home in the 5th
century of St. Dwynwen, Wales's patron saint of lovers, whose “alternative Valen-
tine's” is celebrated each January 25. The scenery differs markedly from the main-
land's, with undulating farmland interrupted by occasional crags and single-story
whitewashed cottages. Then there's the 125 miles of silent coastline—with a marked
circular coastal path for you to follow.
Its “capital,” the little town of
Beaumaris
—named from a distinctly un-Welsh
corruption of the French for “beautiful marsh”—is the natural first stop. Visit the
Castle,
then the
Court
and
Gaol,
to glimpse some unsavory but fascinating snap-
shots of life for those who got on the wrong side of this frontier town over the centu-
ries—most of which were spent cut off from the rest of Wales by the narrow, tidal
Menai Strait. More remote is
Holy Island,
home to Anglesey's westernmost point,
South Stack,
and the gateway to Ireland via the
Holyhead
ferry.
Essentials
GETTING THERE & AROUND
Holyhead
is the terminus of the North Wales
Coast rail line. Trains arrive regularly during the day from Cardiff, Bangor, Llan-
dudno, Chester, and even London.
Llanfair PG
is the isle's other main rail halt.
Transfer at Bangor for
Beaumaris:
Bus nos. 53, 56, 57, and 58 connect Bangor and
Beaumaris approximately every 30 minutes during the day Monday to Saturday, less
often on Sunday. The isle's major transport route, bus no. X4, runs regularly between
Bangor and Holyhead via Llangefni.
