Author Archives: Natstephenson

Estonia is one of those countries not many people talk about but it should be, I only got to spend 2 days here in Tallinn the capital but I wish I had longer as I never got time to visit places like Narva, Pärnu and Laheema national park. However in my short time here I did get to fully explore the city and I did that through walking around and going on a bike tour. The guided bike tour is a must do for visiting Tallinn as it took me to places I weren’t aware of and it was a very good price. For 2 and a half hours the tour came to €20. A lot of places in the old town can be easily accessed by walking but if you choose to venture outwards then I recommend renting out a bike or doing one of the bike tours. The company I chose for my tour was called city bike and is a 5 minute walk from the main square.

Just a quick heads up I was not aware of this before I came but if you decide to order garlic bread you will be given the Estonian version of it. Personally I was not a fan of it but why not give it a try when you visit.

The open air museum is also definitely worth the visit. It is a bit out of the centre though but is easy and cheap to get to by bus, taxi or Uber. My Uber ride cost €8 from the old town wall to the museum. The entry fee is 8 euros for an adult and 5 euros at discounted price. The museum features housing throughout the years from , farming in medieval days, many windmills, churches, the Lau village shop and many more small exhibitions. You can either walk around the museum or get on a horse and carriage which can be found at the village cafe.

A very nice white sand beach located just a 25 minute drive from Tallinn is worth a walk along if you get the time and there is a small town located in the distance which has a nice range of shops and cafes.

Things to do

• Old town square
• Tallinn town hall
• Lai-dōri
• Harjumägi
• Kiek in De kök
• Haabneeme beach
• Estonian open air museum
• Tallinn sign
• Health museum

Best place to eat

• Kaerajaan

Where I stayed

Viru backpackers hostel 4.5/5 great central location in the old town and has amazing facilities with self check in and breakfast is included.

Getting to Estonia

The easiest way to get there if travelling from the uk is to fly direct with flights being as cheap as £4.99 one way. But if your in the neighbouring country of Latvia you can get a direct bus from Riga to Tallinn.

Killarney, Cliffs of Moher and Cork

So this is the country where my adventure all began. A good country to start off with if you live in the uk like I do it is easy to get to by either flying, driving or getting the ferry. The cheapest option is flying and also the quickest with direct flights all across the uk to airports such as Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry. There are two airlines to choose from them being Ryanair and Aer Lingus. Personally I always tend to fly Ryanair instead as you can get one way flights for prices such as £9.99 in off peak season (depending on the airport).

This small little mountainous town is a nature lovers paradise. With forests that go on for miles surrounding the town, A huge lake that sits write in the middle of it all and many walking trails that can take days to explore them all. When I visited Killarney I decided to rent out a bike from a local bike shop near the main house and gardens entrance the prices are very reasonable being €10 for up to 5 hours which was enough time for me. I rode mostly around the national park on the main trail which takes you past Ross castle the old mines and the house gardens. I only spent a day here but I feel like you can do a lot in a small time.

Things to in Killarney

• Ross castle
• Killarney national park
• House and gardens
• MuckRoss house
• Saint Mary’s cathedral

Best place to eat

• The shire

How to get here from Cork and Kerry

• Bus (runs every 1 hour)
• Taxi

The very edge of the west coast of Ireland stands the Cliffs of Moher which reach a staggering height of 702 feet. These cliffs make for an amazing half day trip from either Limerick or Galway taking roughly only about 1 hour and 20 minutes to get there from both places. There is a main path which takes you up to O’Briens tower and also goes the opposite way for a short while but eventually it turns into a dirt trail. In certain areas there are no safety barriers so take extra care when walking in those areas. The whole trail starts in Doolin and ends at the hags head which takes 4.5 hours to complete. I personally did not do the whole trail I started at the tower and walked an hour towards the hags head but turned around due to heavy layers of fog surrounding the area.

Places to eat and shop

There is a cafe in the main tourist area as well as a gift shop a mini museum and little stalls in the car park

A small but lively city with an interesting history cork has it all from Big retailers to small markets and the many different museums and parks. I stayed here for 2 days but had enough time to walk around the city and see the many things the city had to offer my favourite of the attractions was the Elizabeth fort as it gave you great views over the city and it is in a great location just besides the cathedral.

Things to do

• English markets
• Blarney castle (just outside of cork)
• Cork city Gaol
• Elizabeth fort
• Saint Fin berre’s cathedral

Best place to eat

• Market Lane

Information before visiting Ireland

In Ireland the currency they use is euro and it is easy to get cash from either ATMs or cash exchange points but most of the time you can pay by card. The best way to travel round is by bus as you can get from city to city very easily at a reasonably good price. Bring warm clothing and a jacket the weather is very unpredictable.

This is the end of this blog. Thank you for sticking round to the end I hope this helps you if you are or were planning a trip to Ireland.