Albie, eight, Mila, six, and Lois, three, squealed as they rushed around the room (don’t panic, the axes and everything else were printed on the wallpaper or carpet.)
Chessington was my favourite theme park when my children were young and back with the grandchildren, I loved it even more.
It has just the right balance of rides, attractions and shows for all ages, plus the zoo and aquarium.
The connecting hotels, the Azteca and Safari, have themed rooms including the sweet Oreo, grand Gruffalo and our Monkey Temple.
Rope walkways
There was a comfy double bed for me and husband David, bunkbeds with a pull-out trundle bed for the kids and a bathroom in between.
Keep your eyes peeled for special events, too. Anyone visiting next weekend, for example, can be in with a chance of winning one of 100 fast-track tickets (worth £60pp) if they come dressed in Vampire fancy dress.
We hit the ground running, literally. The kids bounced along sky-high rope walkways on the Amazu adventure trail and clambered on the Adventure Tree carousel ride.
Then it was on to Room On The Broom – A Magical Journey, where we encountered the witch and braved the dragon while weaving our way through glass mirrors.
Time to get a bit wet on The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure and the spinning, rocky Seastorm.
The Room On The Broom – A Magical Journey is an enchanted experience for younger kidsSupplied
When the grandparents needed a caffeine booster and the kids needed to give us a break, Ben & Jerry’s milkshakes did the trick.
There are plenty of other food options too, including fish and chips, burgers, hot dogs and pizza. And, if you want to save cash, take a picnic and sit at one of the tables around the park.
Outside of the main park, the hotels’ Zafari Bar & Grill and buffet-style Temple Restaurant are excellent, with a great choice of food for all the family, with kids’ dishes from £6.50 and a packed buffet breakfast for the following morning.
One big advantage of staying in a resort hotel is you have access to the superb Savannah splash pool and to the park an hour before day visitors.
Thanks goodness Lois passed the one-metre height rule to rock along in the open-sided 30-seat truck to see giraffes, zebra and white rhino on the Zufari.
Chessington is home to more than 1,000 animals, from big beasts such as lions, gorillas and tigers to cute farm animals.
While the Sea Life Centre has wondrous creatures including sharks, rays and thousands of colourful fish.
With our youngsters, we had to stick to the gentler rides – apart from Albie who proudly plunged 82ft on Croc Drop – but older kids will love Mandrill Mayhem, the world’s only Jumanji coaster which flips you upside down, or Vampire which soars across the sky.
The grandkids still have those to look forward to and next time opening the safe will be child’s play!
GO: CHESSINGTON
Overnight stays at Chessington’s hotels start from £53pp including park entry and there is currently an offer giving you your second day FREE.
Includes early ride time, hotel entertainment, access to the splash pool, breakfast, free parking and wifi. Day tickets from £29.
Chessington.com.
The Zufari experience at Chessington is a safari ride you must check out when visitingSuppliedThere are real life gorillas too, Chessington is home to more than 1,000 animalsSupplied
3 days agoLatest NewsComments Off on Terrifying secrets of ‘lost’ island tribe who KILL visitors on sight – and reason why survivors are jailed for visiting
SURROUNDED by turquoise waters and golden sands, the remote North Sentinel Island is incredibly enticing.
But this five-mile-long haven in the Indian Ocean is the one place in the world no tourist should tread.
North Sentinel Island is off-bounds to visitors, with tribes people ready to kill on sightOutsiders who have landed on the former British colony have been killed by arrows or spearsAlamyYouTube host Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov travelled to the islands and left a can of diet coke as a giftYouTube @Neo-Orientalist
Outsiders who have landed on the former British colony have been killed by arrows or spears from the mysterious tribe that inhabit this distant land.
Their families don’t get to bury their bodies because it is too dangerous to collect them.
And even if a trespasser does survive, they face a five-year prison sentence for breaking the law by visiting this protected island.
None of that, though, deterred YouTube host Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov from travelling for nine hours in an inflatable boat to try to meet the deadly Sentinelese tribe.
According to the authorities, the 24-year-old American adrenaline junkie evaded patrols by the Indian Navy, landed on the shore last Saturday and blew a whistle to try to attract the indigenous people.
It was only on his return to Kurma Dera beach on South Andaman Island that his mission was uncovered and he was arrested.
Polyakov’s adventure has caused outrage because isolated tribes can be killed by infectious diseases brought by foreigners.
Caroline Pearce, director of Survival International, a charity that campaigns on behalf of indigenous people said: “It beggars belief that someone could be that reckless and idiotic.
“This person’s actions not only endangered his own life but they also put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk.
Target for influencers
“It’s very well known by now that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common outside diseases like flu or measles, which could completely wipe them out.”
With very little of our planet untouched by tourism, wannabe social media stars are increasingly seeking out-of-reach destinations.
And with the Sentinelese considered by the charity to be “the most isolated indigenous people in the world”, they are a target for influencers.
In 2022 British “dark tourist” Miles Routledge, “who goes to the most extreme places on Earth for fun”, posted a message on Twitter discussing the idea of organising an expedition to North Sentinel.
Polyakov, from North Goldwater, Arizona, is of a similar ilk.
North Sentinel Island is a remote five-mile long island in the Indian Ocean
The American had already spent three weeks in Taliban- controlled Afghanistan, posting videos of himself shooting an AKM rifle, playing on abandoned tanks and trying on animal skins in the war-torn country which has the death penalty for various offences including blasphemy.
Last week’s forbidden trip would have required more planning.
On the first occasion, hotel staff stopped him going out on a kayak.
Then in January he filmed the Jarawa tribe on Baratang Island, reportedly without permission.
It beggars belief someone could be that reckless. This person not only endangered his own life, but put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk
For his latest adventure, the tide and sea conditions were carefully studied before he set off, then GPS was used to navigate his motorised dinghy’s 25-mile route to North Sentinel.
Footage from his Go-Pro camera shows him reaching the beach and calling out.
Andaman police officer Kumar Abhishek said: “He went with a can of Coke and coconut and left these things.
“At most he spent ten to 15 minutes there. He stepped on the sand and returned after waiting.
“He said he wanted to experience adventure and thrill.
“He has shot some videos but the videos are being examined. These are pictures and videos of the island, not the people.”
Fishermen became suspicious about Polyakov and he was arrested after returning to Kurma Dera beach.
Tribal welfare officer Pronob Sircar, who raised the alarm, spoke to Polyakov.
Sircar told The Sun: “He explained that he is crazy and likes adventures. I think he was inspired by John Chau.”
Chau, from Vancouver, Washington, tried to sing religious songs to them.
Warning shots from the skilled Sentinelese hunters failed to deter him — even when one struck his waterproof Bible — then other arrows hit home, killing him
Details of his fate are only known because of the journal he wrote and the recollections of the fishermen who he paid to take him there.
Christian missionary John Allen Chau was killed by Sentinelese tribespeople when he visited the islandsRex
They saw Chau’s body being dragged to the beach and buried in the sand.
In letters to his parents, Chau said: “You guys might think I’m crazy in all this but I think it’s worth it to declare Jesus to these people.
“Please do not be angry at them or at God if I get killed.” The authorities considered it too dangerous to recover his remains.
A 2023 documentary, The Mission, which explored his death, made it clear that Chau knew the risks.
What happened to the last person to visit the island?
John Allen Chau was the last person to visit North Sentinel Island in 2018.
Chau was killed by the Sentinelese tribe on his visit.
Chau was an American missionary who felt it was his “calling” to preach to the tribe.
Chau was illegally ferried to the island by fishermen.
While a murder case was registered, the killers couldn’t be prosecuted as contact with the island is forbidden.
Efforts to recover his body were abandoned over fears of further antagonising the tribe.
A journal belonging him was found by police after his death where he wrote about his desire to spread God’s word.
Brutal attacks
The three-mile exclusion zone around North Sentinel was introduced in 1956 by India — which now oversees the islands — to protect the precious Sentinelese way of life.
It is estimated between 50 and 150 people live on North Sentinel Island and their immune systems are unlikely to be able to resist common illnesses such as the flu or a cold.
Locals who strayed too close serve as a warning to others.
In 2006, fishermen Sunder Raj, 48, and Pandit Tiwari, 52, fell asleep after fishing illegally for mud crabs off the island.
They drifted to the shallows where they were attacked and killed by the near-naked tribe.
When a helicopter was dispatched to try to recover their bodies, it also came under a hail of arrows.
The downdraft from the blades exposed the bodies of the men, which had been buried in the sand.
There were rumours that they had been eaten alive because many people falsely believe the Sentinelese are cannibals.
British naval officer Maurice Vidal Portman visited the islands in 1880 in an effort to establish contact with the Sentinelese
While the brutal attacks on visitors sound barbaric the isolated community have good reason to ward off intruders.
In 1880, British naval officer Maurice Vidal Portman, who was superintendent of the Andaman Island Penal Colony at the end of the 19th Century, brought six Sentinelese back to the capital Port Blair.
The two adults died quickly, so the four children who were with them were sent home.
During the 1960s the Indian government, which took control of Andaman after gaining independence from Britain in 1947, attempted to make contact with the tribes.
They left gifts such as plastic buckets or iron tools on the shore.
In return the Sentinelese warriors fired arrows and spears, with a cameraman hit in the leg.
Even Belgium’s former king Leopold III was shot at when he reportedly attempted to get there in 1974, although he escaped injury.
Indian anthropologist TN Pandit is the only person believed to have made contact with the tribe.
But it took him 25 years to build trust, having first gone there in 1966.
Pandit said in 2018: “If we tried to venture into their territory without respecting their wishes or got too close for comfort, they would turn their backs on us and sit down on their haunches, as if to defecate. That was meant to be an insult.
“If we didn’t pay heed and stop, they would shoot arrows as a last resort.”
Even when Pandit brought over two men from the Onge tribe — Andamanese people who had once shared the island — they were also warned off. No one is welcome.
YouTuber Mykhailo’s trip suggests that no matter how many times the Sentinelese make their feelings clear, the message does not get through.
Globe's remote people
THE YAIFO: Living in the jungles of Papua New Guinea, they are believed to practise headhunting – keeping enemies’ heads as trophies. But explorer Benedict Allen made contact in the 1980s, later saying they met him with “a terrifying show of strength – an energetic dance featuring bows and arrows”.
THE MOXIHATETEMA: Numbering around 100, they live a nomadic lifestyle in Brazil’s Amazon jungle – often setting up circular settlements in concealed areas. Aerial pictures show them hurling spears at passing aircraft.
THE MASHCO PIRO: At around 750 people, this is believed to be the largest uncontacted tribe in the world, and they are known to fire arrows at intruders. They live in south east Peru, building palm-leaf huts on riverbanks in the dry season for fishing, then heading into the rainforest in the wet months.
THE POLAHI: This group live in the forests of Gorontalo, a province on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. They are deeply spiritual and superstitious. After a family member dies, the tribe buries them then moves to a new settlement – believing that land to then be uninhabitable.
THE AYOREO: Originally a collection of nomadic tribes, these hunter-gatherers now live in settled communities in the Gran Chaco region across Bolivia and Paraguay. Though the majority of their 5,600 population are in contact with the outside world, there are believed to be around 100 living in isolation. They hunt in the forest, grow squashes, beans and melons, and harvest honey.
3 days agoLatest NewsComments Off on EastEnders hardman Ross Kemp reveals why all British patriots should party like it’s 1945 for one day next month
THERE is exactly one month to go until the country kicks off celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
A new survey reveals 53 per cent of people will join in — including holding street parties on Bank Holiday Monday, May 5.
Arthur Edwards / The SunAhead of VE Day’s 80th anniversary, Ross Kemp and Dame Kelly Holmes will host a tea party aboard a Royal Navy battleship in Portsmouth Harbour[/caption]
AlamyA VE Day street party on May 8, 1945[/caption]
And yesterday TV star Ross Kemp and former soldier and Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes hosted a tea party on board a Royal Navy battleship in Portsmouth harbour.
The port city is where millions of our servicemen and women returned to Britain after six years of conflict at the end of World War Two.
While VE Day is on May 8, the May Bank Holiday three days earlier will be the focus for community celebrations around the country.
The Together Coalition wants millions of people young and old to join in by holding a street party, a picnic in the park, a BBQ or by joining a local community event.
Their research has found almost 28million of us plan to take part in VE Day 80 celebrations.
And 2.1million people are already organising street parties and picnics to honour the dwindling number of veterans from the greatest generation who fought against Hitler’s forces.
EastEnders actor Ross joined school kids and sailors for a street party held on the flight deck of Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan, moored off Portsmouth.
Ross said: “The British public loves a knees-up — and there’s no better reason to celebrate than the anniversary of VE Day.
“I’ll be raising a glass to the veterans who defended us, the values that prevailed and the freedom we still have as a result of their victory.
“Half of the country is joining in — my message to the other half is: it is not too late to get involved.
“Most of the veterans who served in World War Two are already over 100. So, this could be last time we will have an opportunity to say thank you to them.
“To let them know that we care about their sacrifice, that we honour them and that we wouldn’t have the liberties we enjoy today without them.
“The bank holiday is also about bringing communities together — schools, families, friends, community groups, football teams, rugby clubs.
“Come together on May 5 for barbecues, curry nights, picnics, street parties and celebrate the freedoms that we often take for granted, but that came at a price.”
Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly said: “Moments like this become part of our shared history.
“They remind us of what really matters and the sacrifices that so many have made to protect our democracy and way of life.
“There is no better way to honour them than to celebrate what they fought for together.”
It is not too late to start planning your get-together.
When World War Two ended in 1945, London staged huge impromptu celebrations that went on for days.
And throughout the UK, streets that had survived Nazi bombings during the war pooled their rations to hold thousands of parties.
‘Get involved’
Brendan Cox, of the Together Coalition, said it is not too late to apply to have your street closed for a party to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe.
He said: “Most councils are trying to make it as easy as possible this time, so lots of them are waiving their fees and lots of them are speeding up the process.
“But even if you can’t block off your street, there’s still lots of ways that people can get involved.
“You can do something much smaller — it can be in a local park, it can be in your gardens, it can just be on the front lawn. It can be with your mate.
“No matter where you live, if you’re in a big leafy street somewhere you can close off, great. If you’re in a tower block somewhere, you can have a block party.
“Whatever it is, we want the whole country to get involved.”
l If you are in London on the afternoon of May 5, a large procession of serving forces and veterans will march with military bands to Buckingham Palace where there will be a military flypast.
V.E.MAIL: CAT, 9, WRITES TO A HERO
ABOARD HMS Duncan, Dame Kelly read a moving letter from Royal Marine John Eskdale, now 100, who served all over the globe in World War Two.
In late 1943, he was on board HMS Charybdis when it was struck by German torpedoes.
He writes: “I spent a harrowing five hours in freezing water on a Carley float before I was rescued. Of the 533 crew on board the vessel, I was one of only 107 people who were saved, and the last survivor to be picked up.”
John is one of five World War Two survivors taking part in VE Mail, a project where school children can write to a veteran.
He signs off his letter telling the youngsters: “I pray you never have to witness a war. My message to you is to do the best you can because you don’t know what is around the corner.”
Catalina Robson, nine, a pupil at St John’s Cathedral Catholic Primary School in Portsmouth, has already written to John at his home in Lydney, Gloucs. She said: “John’s letter made me think he is a very brave and courageous man.”
In her heartfelt letter she wrote: “Dear John, I am very grateful for your service because you saved future generations like mine from conflict. I’m very lucky to have read your letter.”
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3 days agoLatest NewsComments Off on I visited English seaside town loved by Wills, Harry & Meghan Markle – it’s perfect for sunrise walks and pints by beach
POLZEATH on Cornwall’s North Coast might be a small village but it has a royally big reputation.
Well-known for its beautiful sandy beach and choppy waters that are great for surfing, the area is so stunning it attracts a celeb crowd during the summer months . . . even members of the Royal Family.
AlamyI visited the English seaside town loved by William, Harry & Meghan Markle – it’s perfect for sunrise walks and pints by the beach[/caption]
GettyPolzeath has become a go-to destination for watersports lovers and nature enthusiasts[/caption]
Prince William and Harry are among the big names who have visited, first as young teenagers and then again as adults.
In fact, the pair apparently love Polzeath so much, Prince William visited during his stag do and, before they married, Prince Harry enjoyed a weekend there with Meghan.
So if it’s good enough for the royals, it’s surely good enough for me and my family.
I was visiting with my husband Paul and daughter Lexi from the nearby town of Bude over the course of a gloriously sunny weekend.
Aside from celeb-spotting, Polzeath has become a go-to destination for watersports lovers and nature enthusiasts who want to soak up the beautiful surroundings.
If you’re not keen on surfing then the windswept waters are great for bodyboarders, too — there are rental shops dotted along the shore offering up various watersports gear.
On top of that, there are tons of restaurants such as The Cracking Crab, dishing up deliciously fresh seafood, and some gorgeous shops selling everything from surf gear to seaside titbits.
The beach is one of the few dog-free shores in the area (from the middle of May until September 30), although pooches are most welcome on the nearby coastal paths winding along the cliff edges.
Just a short walk from the sea was our holiday home for the next few days, Drum Fish, a cool coastal three-bedroomed house with views to die for and plenty of attractions nearby.
The bedrooms, all situated on the ground floor, were nicely furnished with a surf-chic theme – think white walls, bleached wooden floors and quirky accessories.
The perfect weather meant we could spend long evenings on the glass balcony overlooking the Atlantic, watching the sun slowly dip beyond the horizon.
Another brilliant thing about being so close to the shores, aside from the cracking views, was being able to wander to the sands at sunrise. Lexi and I enjoyed the most peaceful early morning dips without a single other soul in sight.
Food trucks and bars
The kitchen in our holiday home was well-equipped with an electric hob, oven and fridge-freezer, so cooking up lunches and dinners was easy-peasy.
If you don’t want to cook, though, Polzeath is full of food trucks, bars and restaurants — but be warned, it’s not the cheapest place.
We visited one of the bars on the beach one evening and a pint of Guinness set us back an eye-watering £10.80.
Elsewhere at Beach Box, you can pick up a breakfast bagel crammed with smoked salmon and cream cheese for around £6.80.
And if you’re after a slap-up dinner showcasing local ingredients, then head to the Oystercatcher. The pub with rooms has a well-priced menu featuring coastal favourites such as dressed crab and West Country sirloin steak as well as a cracking chicken tikka masala.
And for dessert? Don’t miss a trip to Vanilla, an ice-cream shop overlooking the beach which sells every kind of flavour you could imagine from toffee apple to lemon swirl, as well as waffles piled high with scoops and whipped cream.
If you’re serious about refining your water skills, you can book in with George’s Surf School while you’re here, which will get you standing on your board in no time.
SuppliedDrum Fish is a cool coastal three-bedroomed house with views to die for and plenty of attractions nearby[/caption]
SuppliedThe interiors of Drum Fish[/caption]
Marc Giddings - The SunPrince William and Harry are among the big names who have visited, first as young teenagers and then again as adults[/caption]
Or if, like me, you prefer to unwind in a spa, Saunas By The Sea, located on Baby Bay and accessible via the main beach at low tide, sells private sauna sessions (£18.50 for 50 minutes) or group bookings for ten people (£130 for 50 minutes, see saunasbythesea.co.uk).
The quirky shipping containers have been converted into wood-fired saunas, each with impressive views of the sleepy ocean.
Even if the weather doesn’t hold out, you’ll certainly warm up in here.
And with views like this, it’s not hard to see why the royals love Polzeath so much.
This slice of the Cornish coast really is fit for a prince.
GO: POLZEATH
STAYING THERE: A stay in Drum Fish apartment costs from £23pp per night, based on six people sharing. See latitude50.co.uk.
3 days agoLatest NewsComments Off on Why Trump is the elephant in the election campaign room
Donald Trump is casting a shadow on multiple fronts in the federal election, from the impact of tariffs to party leaders keen to distance themselves from him.
