Wales Best Guides

31/10/2024

Calan Gaeaf hapus !!!

Happy Halloween from Conwy !

There are loads of spooky traditions unique to Wales and plenty of ghost stories .

Plas Mawr is the best Elizabethan town house in Conwy, home to one of Edward I’d castles. Legend has it that the house is haunted by the ghost of the first owner, Robert Wynne, his second wife and the disgraced doctor who failed to save her.

One day Robert’s pregnant second wife and young son were in the tower, watching for Robert’s return from war.

After a while the tower became cold and she decided to leave for the warmth of the lower levels. On descending the stairs whilst carrying her son, she slipped and both were badly hurt. The servants carried her to her to the lantern room, and sent for the doctor. An unexpercienced junior doctor was sent to examine them both . As he was about to leave to ask for help the servants apparently locked him in.

When Robert arrived home and was told of the tragedy, he rushed to the room only to find that the doctor had disappeared and his wife and child were dead. Filled with rage at the doctor Robert vowed to hunt the doctor down.

But he never did find the doctor, who supposedly tried to escape up the chimney where he became stuck and died.

Join our guide Rhian Jones on one of her tours during halloween at Plas Mawr !

24/10/2024

Once a home to lords and ladies, princesses and warriors, Carew is now home to ghost stories and rare bats.

The Castle : on dark and stormy nights, it is reportedly visited by the ghost of a deathly barbary ape!

Sir Rowland Rees, a tenant of the castle in the 17th century, was a well travelled man who brought back with him an injured ape . He trained the ape to respond to his every wish with a series of whistles.

One story night , the wind screamed around the castle and the rain lashed at the windows. There was a knock at the door and a merchant demanded admittance, distressed and upset that his daughter had run away with Sir Rowland’s son. Sir Rowland did not believe his story, and after a fierce argument he released the ape from its chains and ordered it to kill the merchant.

The merchant fought off the ape and badly injured, managed to drag himself from the room. He cursed Sir Rowland with an evil fate and, as he cursed, great piercing screams were heard from the tower room. The servants, when the servants entered the silent room.next morning, found lying in a pool of blood the body of Sir Rowland, but of the ape there was no sign.

Legend has it that the ghost of the ape returns to the castle on dark, stormy nights where he has been seen and heard by passers-by. Why does the ape return? Nobody knows

22/10/2024

Crag y Nos is Wales' most haunted Castle.

It is the former estate of acclaimed 19th century opera singer, Adelina Patti Adelina Patti died in 1919 and her body was stored at the hose and embalmed here before taken to Paris where she was buried . Her ghost is said to haunt the theatre built by her . After her death the house become a TB hospital and presence is felt in room 36 and on the staircases.

18/10/2024

The tiled corridor in the Museum of Cardiff was built by Maw & Co in 1882 as the entrance to Cardiff”s first free library .

14/10/2024

Our fellow guides have been blessed with the sight of northern lights recently .

What are northern lights and how come you can see them in Wales ?

The lights are caused by electrically charged particles from the Sun travelling millions of miles and getting caught in the Earth’s magnetic field.

These particles accelerate down towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere, which heats them up and creates the effect. The different colours in the atmosphere are caused by different gases burning as part of this process with green being characteristic of oxygen while hints of purple, blue or pink are caused by nitrogen.

The bigger the coronal mass ejection from the Sun, the wider the area around the poles in which particles enter the atmosphere." When the auroras have a bigger ejection, they will be possible to be seen in lower latitudes,

October is also a month with loads of night sky pbservation events . You can see the events here : https://gostargazing.co.uk/organiser/darkskywales/ or contact one of our expert guides.

09/10/2024

Wales is huge fun !! And our guides as well. We have zip lines above former coal mines or underground in a former slate mine too. Have you got the courage ?

07/10/2024

02/10/2024

A cheesy story

Did you know that cheese was an important part of the miners’ diet. ?

Christopher Swire's grandfather was a miner. As a child he was struck by the strength of the mining community and the sense of camaraderie from the miners who worked in such harsh, dangerous conditions. It inspired him to create a strong favoured cheddar cheese. with fine balance of savoury and sweet .

The recipe is a closely guarded secret. Using carefully selected Welsh milk to a single recipe, it is matured for up to 20 months.

Now if you want to please your tastebuds even more you might be delighted to know that Collier's has teamed up with Gower Brewery to create Collier's Real Ale, which has been brewed to complement its popular dairy product !!!

Happy 20th anniversary Collier's !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8M00FH6J78

Are you interested in foodie tours in Wales follow us or contact one of our expert guides for a tour : https://www.walesbestguides.com/guides/

The idea for the Collier’s brand was sparked by Wales’s proud industrial heritage. Collier’s Powerful Welsh Cheddar’s characteristics are those of the Welsh ...

01/10/2024

Bike tours are a great way to discover Cardff !

29/09/2024

Gardens in Wales are very special as they harmoniously blend the wild beauty of nature with cultivated designs. Bodnant Gardens in North Wales is one of Great Britain's most important and most breathtaking gardens. One of our tourist guide Donna guided Paul through the gardens.

If you would like a guided tour through Welsh gardens get in touch with one of our guides : https://www.walesbestguides.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jVzZhLA48A

Follow Paul to Holyhead, Wales, and immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Bodnant Garden’s dramatic terraces and sweeping views of the Carneddau Mou...

25/09/2024

Narberth

A small town in Pembrokeshire according to The Guardian "not only a gastronomic hub for west Wales but also one of the liveliest, most likeable little towns in the UK".

The town's history is fascinating. Its norman castle is mentioned in the Mabinogi ( a collection of Welsh legends) as the place where Rhiannon was imprisoned and forced to carry travellers through the gates as penance for killing her son.

It boasts with multicoloured Georgian and Edwardian houses, and a proudly independent high street selling everything from the most delicious deli food to fine art. This quaint little market town in the heart of eastern Pembrokeshire has established itself as a foodie and shopper heaven and a must-visit destination.

Join one of our guides on a guided tour of the town this weekend during the 24th Narberth food festival. It is the perfect occasion to discover Narberth's history, brows in the shop but you can also learn about Welsh food and taste it too.

Find a guide : https://www.walesbestguides.com/guides/

21/09/2024

20/09/2024

Why Wales is a great place to visit of you are a House of Dragon Fan ?


Some parts of the second series were filmed in Wales .

Dinorwig quarry in Gwynedd was transformed y into a battlefield during filming. It’s speculated the Battle of Rook’s Rest will be filmed here .

LLanddwyn beach have provided the backdrop for parts of Dragonstone and Trefor Quarry is located right by the sea and the mountains Yr Eifl and is one of the four main quarries of Gwynedd. At the quarry the remnants of the old works were transformed into a fortress, believed to be Dragonstone Castle, the seat of House Targaryen.

Not only that but Wales has its own dragon legend and we even have a red dragon on our flag.

Do you want to find out more ?

https://www.walesbestguides.com/guides/

17/09/2024

The last sleeping dragon of Wales

According to legend Radnor Forest is home to the last dragon in Wales who sleeps undisturbed in the forest. A ring of churches built around the forest, each dedicated to St Michael, the angel who defeated the dragon, are said to contain the sleeping dragon. Churches located at Llanfihangel Rhydithon , Llanfihangel Nant Melan, Llanfihangel Cefnllys and Llanfihangel Cascob form the ring. Local folklore suggests that should any of the four churches be destroyed the dragon would be woken!

03/09/2024

Happy Welsh rarebit Day !

The roots of the dish can be traced back to Wales, where it was known as "caws wedi ei bobi" in the Welsh language, which translates to "cheese that has been toasted." The cheesy toast was originally called Rabbit in a tongue-in-cheek way in the Welsh language because there is no rabbit in the meal,.

Welsh rarebit is more than cheese on toast . It needs some beer, Worcester sauce and mustard, and that's why it tastes so good - a winning combination on any day!!!

'The dish ' first appeared as a dish in 1725 and later in many "Eighteenth-century cookbooks. It is thought that the dish was attributed to the Welsh because of their historic fondness for cheese, which was used as a substitute for meat as a source of protein by poor peasants. Welsh Rarebit is described by some as 'posh cheese on toast'.

Do you want to find out more about Welsh cuisine ? Get in touch with one of our guide sign up for a foodie tour

29/08/2024

Dark Sky Festival in the Brecon Beacons

In 20212 Bannau Brycheiniog National Park became an International Dark Sky Reserve. Just the fifth destination in the world (and the first in Wales) to be accredited.

On a clear night you can see the Milky Way, major constellations, bright nebulas and even meteor showers. It’s enough to make anyone starry eyed.

You can see some of the events taking place on the 21st of September here.: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/gwyl-awyr-dywyll-dark-sky-festival-2024-3528759
visiting another time ? Talk to one of our guides : https://www.walesbestguides.com/guides/

https://youtu.be/mXQdHs_-4Dk

Mae Park Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog yn cynnig gweithgareddau i’w mwynhau yn ystod y dydd, ond mae yn gynnar gyda’r nos yn adeg hudolus o’r dydd. Wrth i...

25/08/2024