nourish team 
nourish readers Lennie and Janet Gent went on a coach trip to Devon, enjoying five days away at the English Riviera.
The staycation is firmly here to, well, stay, and so we took the plunge and went on a coach tour to Devon. We have never done such a tour before, and we weren’t sure what to expect, but had a great time!
We booked through GB Tours and chose Babbacombe in Devon, on the beautiful English Riviera, as our destination. They provided pickup points at Acle, Attleborough, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Newmarket, and Stowmarket, as well as options to make your own way to Wymondham, Norwich, Cambridge, and Bury St Edmunds. Tour GB offer several tours from East Anglia to places including the Isle of Wight, the Lakes and Dales, Liverpool, Somerset, and more.
Once we got to Babbacombe, our base for the four nights we were there was the three-star Anchorage Hotel, found just a few minutes away from the beautiful South Devon beaches. All rooms are en-suite, and they even have a heated outdoor pool from May to September! Rooms were on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis.
On day two, we went to Sidmouth and Dawlish. Sidmouth is known as the ‘cream of the south coast’ and it had a real charm. We spent the morning there before taking the coastal road to Dawlish, a pretty seaside resort, also full of character and charm. We enjoyed a place called The Lawn, a park with a stream and duck pond running through the centre and surrounded by green lawns and gardens on its way to the sea through a series of weirs and waterfalls
Day three saw us visit the picturesque harbour town of Dartmouth on the River Dart in the morning. This town had some very good shopping and quaint lanes full of unique and quirky shops, as well as some lovely cafés around the harbour. That afternoon, we went to central Torquay to enjoy time in the main resort in the English Riviera.
The final full day was a free day to relax at the hotel pool or beauty parlour. There was an opportunity to take the overhead cliff railway to Babbacombe Beach, which offered sail and paddle boarding. Further around the bay, to Oddicombe, we found the Cary Arms Hotel Restaurant and Spa, a fabulous place to eat inside or out, depending on the weather! You could have been anywhere in the world with its breath-taking views out to the turquoise sea.
After a final breakfast, it was time to travel back to the Suffolk coast. The Anchorage was a great base to explore the area from, and they had fantastic entertainment most evenings. We went to see Starlight at The Babbacombe Theatre, a fantastic, professional, funny production with great singing, dancing and costumes. The hotel even laid on transport for those unable to walk.
This trip was one to suit everyone’s budget, set in a lovely location with all trips included for a great price. We will be going on such a tour again!
- Prices start from £225 on a DBB basis. Single supplement applies. Find out more at www.gbtours.com.
