Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
IN THE CONWY VALLEY
Bodnant Garden
GARDEN The 32-hectare (80-acre) hillside grounds of
Bodnant Hall have been transformed into a charming mix of multi-tiered, labyrin-
thine formal gardens and managed wild spaces. Perfumed rose terraces have been
carefully designed to afford views over the River Conwy to Snowdonia's foothills
beyond. The garden is best known for its elegant laburnum arch and a unique, inter-
nationally important collection of rhododendrons, first planted here in 1909 (337
hybrids have been registered at Bodnant). April and May are particularly colorful.
Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy.
&
01492/650460.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk. Admission £7.70 adults, £3.90 chil-
dren 5-16. Late Feb-Oct daily 10am-5pm; first half of Nov daily 10am-4pm. Closed mid-Nov-late Feb.
Bus: 25 from Llandudno (35 min.).
Where to Eat
For lunch on the go, or a picnic, the
Little Deli
, 133 Mostyn Street (
&
01492/
872114;
www.thelittledeli.co.uk), offers tasty sandwiches and hot snacks, and sells
homemade jams and chutneys.
The Cottage Loaf,
Market Square (
&
01492/
870762;
www.the-cottageloaf.co.uk), a tavern with a summer beer garden, serves
the best pub grub in town, with main courses costing between £8 and £11. Food is
served Monday to Friday 11:30am to 8pm, Saturday 11:30am to 7pm, and Sunday
noon to 4pm. For an authentic taste of India's Punjab region, make a reservation at
Jaya,
inside Space (see “Where to Stay,” below).
The Seahorse
SEAFOOD/INTERNATIONAL Traditional, accomplished
bistro cuisine and friendly service have brought this family-run restaurant a faithful list
of habitués. The Seahorse has gained its reputation on the back of its excellent fish cook-
ing. Dishes are catch dependent, but expect the likes of baked hake and crab thermidor
or seared scallops with a lemon and saffron sauce. Lovers of land-roaming food are
catered for with such dishes as crispy duck breast served with a Thai plum sauce.
7 Church Walks.
&
01492/875315.
www.the-seahorse.co.uk. Reservations recommended. Fixed-price
menu £19 (1 course), £25 (2 courses), £29 (3 courses). AE, MC. Daily 4:30-11pm.
Entertainment & Nightlife
The seafront's most visible public monument is
Venue Cymru,
the Promenade
(
&
01492/872000;
www.venuecymru.co.uk). It's the place for everything from
tours by the Welsh National Opera to plays and rock concerts. Most shows begin at
8pm; tickets usually cost £10 to £45.
Where to Stay
Llandudno is becoming increasingly popular with weekend visitors from the North-
west of England, so book hotels ahead on Friday and Saturday nights.
Bodysgallen Hall
This is the grandest address in the north of Wales, a
dramatic 17th-century country house and spa with its own lookout tower, set on 80
hectares (200 acres) of parkland and manicured gardens. Skillfully restored, it offers
architectural merit combined with 21st-century comfort. Each of the spacious and ele-
gant bedrooms evokes a certain period in their styles and colors; some have four-poster
beds. A few of the units, as good as those in the main house, are in converted cottages.
Llandudno LL30 1RS. www.bodysgallen.com.
&
01492/584466.
Fax 01492/582519. 33 units. £169-
£349 double; £425 suite. Rates include continental breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking. 2 miles southeast
of Llandudno along the A470. No children 5 and under.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; exercise room;
indoor heated pool; spa; outdoor tennis court.
In room:
A/C (in some), TV/DVD, movie library, hair dryer,
Wi-Fi (free).
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