Ady & Meg.

Contrast therapy is the use of hot and cold temperatures on the body with a list of potential benefits to your health and wellbeing. 

We had booked one hour exclusive use of the facilities, and were met by Cassie, who coached us through the whole session. 

Once in our swim attire, it was time for our first dip in a chill tub. There were three tubs, with temperatures of around 10, 6 and 3 degrees celsius. Meg took the 10 and Ady took the 6, and we were surprised by quite how cold they felt! 🥶

Cassie advised that we should spend 1-3 minutes in the chill tub, and then spend 13 minutes in the sauna. We repeated this routine three times, finishing on a quick chill dip to leave us feeling awake ready for the drive home.

Cassie was very knowledgeable and supportive throughout the whole experience, and the facilities were immaculate.  

Following one session, we can't say that we have felt any of the potential benefits yet - but that doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't / these wouldn't come with repeated use. 

It was an experience that we will never forget and we are so glad that we tried it - we recommend that you do too! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

We found this 100% gluten free home bakery via social media and simply had to make a special journey to Newport to try out the goodies! 

Owned by a Coeliac baker who lives with 'muggles', she is incredibly well versed in ensuring everything is kept Coeliac-safe, and has a separate oven, fridge, utensils and work space - there is no 'may contain' warning here! 

As well as producing individual orders from home, she also attends Belle Vue Market in Newport on the first Sunday of every month (March to December) and it was this market that we visited.

We arrived before opening, and there was already a queue - a true sign of how good these bakes really are!

We took away a white chocolate and raspberry cookie, a birthday cake cookie pie, 2 slices of Halloween old school sponge and a kinder cookie sandwich, and we honestly couldn't tell you which the favourite was - they were all lush! 😍

We will 100% be back! 

Flossie.

I was welcome at the market, as long as I was kept on lead. There was even a dog treat stall opposite this stall 😍

Ady & Meg.

This walk is a great mix of woodland and panoramic views! The route is quite uneven under foot, and undeniably 'up' (but in fairness, 'Mynydd' is 'Mountain' in English - what did you expect?! 😂). But, the views at the top are totally worth it! 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, especially all the sticks and the little waterfall! 

Meg.

My muggle-friend and I loved this 100% gluten free cafe! At the time of writing they are only open Thursday - Saturday 10:30-2:30, but they offer such a wide range for somewhere so small. 

As a bonus they have excellent vegan options (my friend loved her chickpea coronation roll!) and my absolute favourite was their victoria sponge - you would never know it was gluten free! 

They have different daily specials such as fajitas, cottage pie, pizzas and various items in batter/pastry and all at a very fair price. They also have amazing customer service - we will 100% be back!

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Meg.

My friend and I really enjoyed the couple of hours spent wandering around this property. Generally I prefer exploring the grounds at these types of venues, but the house was beautiful and being able to see the views from the roof was the highlight!

It opens at 10am each day, although the walled garden does not open until 11am. As it gets busy quickly, I would recommend arriving at opening time, viewing the inside of the house first (via timed ticket) and then exploring the grounds afterwards.

At the time of writing this, Coughton Court is managed by The National Trust - so free entry if you have a membership, or a slightly pricey day out if not. That said, from February 2026 the Throckmorton family will resume day-to-day management of the property, which will mean that entry will no longer be free for National Trust members.

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Although Bucharest wasn't as crammed full of 'touristy things to do' like other cities that we have been to, there were still plenty of 'smaller' pretty sights to see. Here are our favourites:

Ady & Meg.

The Palace of Parliament is the heaviest building in the world, and the second largest administrative building in the world (after the Pentagon). 

Getting a tour of the inside of it is quite the fiasco - first we needed to meet at the tour office and show them our passports. We then had to leave all liquids (including lighters) there, and go through further security and passport checks once at the Palace of Parliament - all of this took at least an hour, before we even met the actual tour guide. 

The tour of the building itself was pretty impressive - the building really was huge, and very grand! In the 45 minutes that we were in there, we actually only saw 5% of the building!

This is a must see when visiting Bucharest! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a completely gluten free bakery!

Having travelled to many countries and acknowledging that Romania is quite far behind in terms of catering to Coeliacs, this bakery did not have the range that we have experienced elsewhere. This was particularly a shame as we had read online that on certain days they produce more, and we purposely visited on one of these days. We arrived expecting items like croissants and pizza slices, and instead left with eclairs and cookies. 

The eclairs were absolutely amazing, and we were very grateful for these, we were just hoping for something more savoury - a lesson to not believe everything you read online and contact places in advance! 

Overall we still recommend this bakery - just go expecting to buy sweets! 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹️

Ady & Meg.

This trip was the highlight of our holiday! The day started by meeting our guide and travelling by minibus towards the mountains. Along the route we had a quick toilet stop at a petrol station, a quick photo stop below Poenari Citadel and a short walk at the beautiful Vidraru Dam.

Next came the best bit - we drove through the forest roads, and wild brown bears were just roaming around - our guide told us that although it is forbidden to feed them (and will land you a hefty fine if caught), some people still do it, which means the bears hang around waiting for treats! 

The route then took us up the winding Transfagarasan road up the mountain to Balea Lake, where we had free time to admire the views, and for those who could, eat at the many street food stalls up there. It was insanely cold up there, quite different to the 30 degree heat that we had left behind in Bucharest!

On the way back down we stopped briefly by Capra Waterfall, before seeing more bears on the Forest roads and eventually returning to Bucharest. 

We 100% recommend this trip! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a completely gluten free takeaway!

This place was a bit of a lifeline for us, as as well as being completely gluten free, it had much better opening hours than other places. 

They serve Arepas (kind of a cross between a kebab and a burger) and chips, and had several vegetarian options. There was very limited seating in there, but we had no problem getting a seat on each visit (and the seat was appreciated, as they were incredibly messy to eat!).

We 100% recommend that you try this place!

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Very unusual for us - this trip was booked at very short notice, due to another trip letting us down. We booked this trip purely based on the time of the morning that it was leaving - it was around a 12 hour trip (which ended up being more like 13.5 hours because of traffic) and we needed to be back in Bucharest in time for tea. 

The trip involved visiting Peles Castle, the town of Brasov and Bran Castle by coach - these are all fantastic places to visit and we 100% recommend them. This review and our scoring is however mostly a reflection of the trip itself...

As you can see from the advert, the trip claims that it is a guided tour, and asks that you bring cash with you so that you can buy your castle tickets through the guide (we assumed that this was because of timeslot issues etc). However, what we discovered whilst on the trip was actually that we had to pay extra if we wanted the guided tour (as it was, we did not 😂), Peles Castle was actually already sold out, and we had to purchase tickets to Bran Castle online!

If this wasn't disappointing enough, the tour guide's attitude was the nail in the coffin (apologies for the Dracula pun 🧛😂) - he told us that he was willing to switch the trip around (visiting Bran castle first, and Pele castle later, which would have gotten us access to the inside of Peles castle), IF enough people on the coach wanted to do it - but people who hadn't paid for the guided tour didn't count. As it was, there weren't enough votes, so the trip continued as planned. When it came to booking Bran Castle, again the tour guide refused to share the QR code with us, as we hadn't paid extra for the guided tour! (Here is a link to their official website to book the castle: https://www.bran-castle.com/en/) 

Upon reflection, and from speaking to others, we wish that we had actually travelled out of Bucharest independently, stayed the night in Brasov, and visited the castles independently. 

Although it was tough to find the correct website to book Bran Castle (it's not the first website on google!) we are still glad that we didn't pay extra for the guided tour - this meant that we were able to explore the sites as we wanted to, and even had time to visit alternative viewpoints to where the guided tour went. We had around 90 minutes at each destination, which was about right for us, but we appreciate that many people would find this too rushed.

As we said above, this review is about the tour, not the castles - they really are well worth a visit, and were one of the highlights of our trip to Bucharest!

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Bucharest is nicknamed 'Little Paris' due to it's french-influenced architecture and being such fans of Paris ourselves we thought this tiny museum would be worth a visit. 

You cannot book to visit here, and upon arrival you are greeted by a man who gives you a quick explanation and then you are left to explore the rooms at your leisure. 

The rooms are jam packed with the most elegant of decor, a real feast for the eyes! We weren't here any more than about 30 minutes, but we definitely recommend a quick visit - and make sure you visit the bathroom!

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a Hard Rock Cafe!

We had previously been to one in Amsterdam and were treated well, but obviously we knew things could differ from restaurant to restaurant. We therefore contacted them by email to check, and found that although they had the same menu as their sister restaurant, Bucharest wanted us to book our actual meals in advance (and we were more than happy to do so). 

When we arrived a manager quickly joined us at our table. He was well aware of our pre-order, but keen to warn us about the presence of gluten in their kitchen. He reassured us that they were preparing our food in a separate area, with separate utensils and that their fryer was gluten free - it was clear that they were doing all that they could, and this talk was more about making sure we didn't sue them.

As a Coeliac this is of course frustrating, as it makes it hard to tell the difference between a restaurant where there is real risk, and a restaurant which has gluten on the premises but have good measures in place to keep us safe. 

That aside, we had a lovely meal here, and there were no adverse reactions. Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience. On this occasion, we were very satisfied customers. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Just like the one in Paris, this Triumphal Arch sits at one of the city's busiest intersections and is surrounded by a constant whirl of traffic. You can view the arch from the ground for free, or pay a small fee to climb the stairs to the top for lovely views out over the city. There are not many panoramic views in Bucharest, so we are really glad that we did this. 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

King Michael I park, or Herastrau Park as the locals call it, is the largest green space in Bucharest and is free to enter. Here we walked around the large lake, but we saw many people hiring boats and paddle boards, or using the route for running or bike rides. 

It felt very much like a park used by the locals, rather than a tourist destination, so we definitely recommend visiting here if you would like to escape the busyness of the city for a couple of hours. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This open-air museum transports visitors to different Romanian regions and historical periods through real, relocated village houses, churches and artifacts. 

You cannot book admission online, and on Mondays and Tuesdays entry is half price as the insides of the houses are not open. That said, we attended on a Saturday and only two of the houses appeared to be open...

We spent around 2 hours here, but we are sure that others could spend longer. There was also a small market selling handmade goods. In our opinion it is a must-see when visiting Bucharest! 

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a completely gluten free bakery!

Having travelled to many countries and acknowledging that Romania is quite far behind in terms of catering to Coeliacs, this bakery did not quite have the range or quality that we have experienced elsewhere.

But, what really shone about this bakery was the excellent customer service! We contacted them ahead of arriving in Bucharest, as we knew that we had two days of long excursions outside of Bucharest, and would need to buy food that would not only last, but also travel well. 

Alexandra asked to call us to discuss our options, and her words of  "anything for a Coeliac" really touched us. We came away with a good selection of both savory and sweet items, and without these we would have had a very hungry few days in Romania!  

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹️

Ady & Meg.

Having Coeliac Disease in Romania is really tough - generally it is not a well understood dietary requirement there. We were therefore very excited to find a restaurant with a gluten free menu!

As per usual process, we contacted them beforehand to check that their processes were safe for Coeliacs, and they confirmed that the gluten free pizzas were prepared in a separate area. We booked a table via email for two separate nights, and when we arrived we were surprised to find the restaurant so quiet. 

Admittedly it wasn't the best gluten free pizza that we have ever had, and we were not offered dessert on either occasion, but when in a country which was so hard to find gluten free food, we were still super appreciative of having a safe place to eat. 

Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience. On this occasion, we were satisfied customers. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This Apartment was in such a great location - close enough to explore the main tourist attractions easily, but far enough away from The Old Town that it was quiet (we spoke to a couple who were staying actually in the Old Town, and they said that they couldn't sleep as it was so loud!).

You certainly get a lot of Apartment for your money in Bucharest, and although admittedly the Apartment had a slightly odd smell, the location and view from the balcony more than made up for it. 

The Apartment came with a full kitchen, and although we did not cook we did rely heavily on the large fridge to store bakery goods! 

Overall we absolutely recommend this Apartment as a great base to explore Bucharest. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This is Europe's biggest spa and was certainly the most impressive spa that Meg had ever been to (this was Ady's first experience of a spa!).

Information on the website is not the easiest to navigate, but basically tickets vary by the duration of your visit (3 hours, 4.5 hours, or all day) and the specific areas that you wish to visit;

• Galaxy Zone: includes a wave machine and slides (we did not visit this bit, assuming it was aimed at children and families).
• Palm Zone: Tropical gardens and pools - the majority of our photos below.
• Elysium Zone: An adults-only area with saunas and treatments. 

We opted for a 4.5 hour ticket which included all areas, but you can easily buy a ticket for one area and pay to access other areas on the day. We found that this was plenty of time for us, but admittedly we aren't the types to sit still for long! We were pleasantly surprised by how cheap our tickets were (in comparison to UK prices), at under £30 per person. 

Upon arrival you are each given a wrist band which is used to access your locker and make any purchases. We rented robes and towels (you must have a towel with you to access the saunas) and purchased flip flops (which were incredibly uncomfortable!) but you can take your own if you prefer. We also purchased several drinks from the bar during our visit (unfortunately unlike spas in the UK, there was no free water). 

We arrived prior to the spa opening, and were one of the first to access the pool areas. For the first hour of our visit it was fairly quiet, and easy to get a sunlounger. It did however fill up quickly, and by the time we left at lunchtime it was very busy - far from the relaxing experience at UK spas. We attended on a Friday, and expect that weekends and later in the day would be even busier. 

From around 11am onwards the spa runs short experiences in the saunas and steam rooms. The sauna ones are included in the Elysium Zone ticket, but fill up quickly so we would recommend arriving at your chosen sauna at least 10-15 minutes before it's due to start. We did a salt scrub experience and a Eucalyptus experience, and they definitely enhanced our use of the facilities.

There is also the option to pay extra to receive treatments (The queue to book these was huge even early on, so expect these to be sold out if you arrive later) and use water massage beds etc.

The main reason we did not stay for the full day was unfortunately food. The website was clear that no food or drink could be taken into the premises (although our bags were not checked...) and restaurants said they were unable to guarantee avoidance of cross contamination - we instead opted to make our way into Bucharest itself for an early dinner!

Overall this spa is a must-do if you are visiting Bucharest, based on cost and aesthetics. However, do prepare yourself for it to be busy or consider attending early in the morning on a Monday-Thursday in the hope of a slightly more relaxing experience.  

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This Airbnb was a great find, super close to Therme Bucharest! You can certainly get a lot of Apartment for your money in Romania, and we were surprised at how nice this one was!

We arrived late at night, but the area was quiet and felt safe. The apartment was on the ground floor and was already unlocked so it was easy to get in. The room was clean and fairly modern and had a microwave and induction hob, so we were able to heat up some food. The bed was comfortable, and after reading the reviews we were surprised at how quiet the building was!

We definitely recommend this place for a cheap stay whilst visiting the spa!

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Meg.

This is such a pretty restaurant, a really lovely place to go for dinner. I had been here several times, long before we started this website, so this review focuses on my recent visit. 

As it had been a few years since my last visit, I phoned the restaurant ahead of my visit to check that they could still cater to Coeliacs safely. The staff member on the phone said that I couldn't have a gluten free pizza, which was a shame as I'd had it many times before and been fine - but perhaps they had since changed their processes?

When I arrived, we were served by a different member of staff. When I asked which items on the menu I could have, he told me I could have the gluten free pizza. This obviously caused a lot of doubt in my mind, having been told a few weeks previously that they weren't safe for Coeliacs. 

That said, our server was really great at going on to talk to me about the precautions that they would take to ensure my food was gluten free - pasta would be cooked in a clean pan, pizzas would be cooked on a separate tray and with different utensils. Anything fried (like chips) were not safe, due to shared fryers. 

I had a vegetarian pizza, with no adverse reactions.

Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience (and clearly the staff here have a bit more training to do). On this occasion, I was a very satisfied customer. 

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This hike has stunning views right from the carpark. We arrived early on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday and the area was incredibly busy - hopefully it would be slightly more chilled on other days? 

The route hikes up to Jubilee Tower, with views all the way up. It then heads down into the woods, before returning to the car park. It is a very easy route to follow, but is undeniably 'up'!

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk and was glad to find some sticks in the woods. There were sheep on the route so it was a good job that I was kept on lead (and there were multiple signs up reinforcing this). 

Ady & Meg.

This is a super short walk to visit Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. The route itself does not actually walk over the Aqueduct, but this is easily added (as a quick out-and-back) and in our opinion that walk would have been pretty bland without it. 

The walkway over the Aqueduct is very narrow - we visited very early in the morning so pretty much had it to ourselves. We appreciate that it would have been much harder to cross had it been busier!

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, but was sad that I wasn't allowed to swim in the canal!

Ady & Meg.

This is such a cute coffee shop, in a lovely location along the canal. And what is even better is that it is 100% Gluten Free, so no risk of cross contamination!

Being completely outside, it is of course weather dependent, but they are generally open Friday to Sunday. We arrived at 11:30 on a Bank Holiday Sunday, and it was quite busy - but we still managed to grab a seat. We ordered a bagel each, and a selection of cakes, all homemade. A couple of the cakes were admittedly a little dry (we wonder if perhaps as we attended on their final day before closing for the week, that we got the leftovers from the previous days?) but the bagels were amazing! They arrived toasted, and there was a meat, vegetarian and vegan option for the filling! 

We would return for the bagels alone - delicious! 

Flossie.

I liked it here, and was given a water bowl. 

Ady & Meg.

This was a great hike with absolutely stunning views. We did the route as per AllTrails (anticlockwise) but if we were to do it again we would do it clockwise (so visiting the castle first) as the castle was busy by the time we arrived. 

The route is pretty steep in places, so isn't for the faint hearted and bar the castle we didn't see many other people. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, but there were sheep on route and some steep drops next to our path, so it was good that I was kept on lead.

Ady & Meg.

We absolutely loved staying in this Shepherds Hut! 

As you can see from the photos, it was decorated both beautifully and thoughtfully and the view of Castell Dinas Bran directly from the window and hot tub just speaks for itself! 😍

It was well situated to walk into Llangollen (which you will appreciate when you see what the traffic and parking can get like!) but was equally so peaceful that you would assume we were staying in the back end of nowhere! 

Admittedly it was not the most practical in terms of storage and cooking space. It had two hobs, kettle, toaster and microwave, so we weren't cooking anything too adventurous, but we still found ourselves juggling with space. That said, for those of you not needing to worry about a dietary requirement, there was also a BBQ outside, and of course the local town has tons of eateries to pick from!

Flossie.

I particularly enjoyed my stay here as the garden was secure, which meant that I could wander freely.

Ady & Meg.

This was a great and fairly easy going hike. There were some lovely views, and we would definitely recommend going during 'Heather season' as this really made the walk. 

We hardly saw any other people, which was surprising for late morning on a Bank Holiday Saturday. This was lucky however as there was very little parking anywhere near the route, and there was some road/lane walking with limited places to get out of the way of cars. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk and managed to find plenty of sticks! We did have to walk through fields of sheep, so lucky that I was kept on lead!

We have visited this 100% Gluten and Dairy Free Pub several times now, and it has become a firm favourite for us all. It really is such a treat to visit somewhere and be able to eat everything on the menu and not have to worry about cross contamination or mistakes being made. Below we have broken our experiences down into three sections...

Meg.

This is a great hike, with amazing views on a clear day. The route starts from the big car park opposite the pub, and follows the canal before cutting up through the woods and climbing Tor y Foel. 

The route is super easy to follow, and although Tor y Foel is steep, the remaining half of the route is pretty flat and often follows the canal. I really enjoyed this hike 🙂

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Ady & Meg.

This is a walk of two halves. For the first half, the views are fantastic - lovely wide open space and even on a good weather Saturday we saw minimal people!

For the second half, the route became incredibly overgrown, and in some places boggy. We went at a time where we hadn't had much rain for a while, so can imagine this would be unpassable in normal conditions. Once out of the 'wild' the final part of the walk was along a busy A road, with no pavement...

All in all, the views up there were great, but we suggest maybe making it a there-and-back walk once you hit the top?

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, but there were wild ponies and sheep on route so it's a good job that I was kept on lead. 

Ady & Meg.

We were so excited to find this place when looking for somewhere to eat in Dawlish. From their website, it was clear that they understood what Coeliac Disease was and how to cater safely to someone with it. But as per usual procedure we dropped them a line anyway, and Meg couldn't believe her luck to find out that she could even pre-order freshly made doughnuts!

When we arrived, the staff were super attentive and patient as we struggled to pick what to order - there was just so much choice, even for vegetarians! The staff explained that most things on the menu were naturally gluten free, but they did have 'normal' bread for the muggles (so they aren't 100% gluten free).

We settled on a pizza, pie and meat lasagne to eat in, and took away a cream tea, pasties, cheesecake and doughnuts to enjoy later, and they were all fantastic! Our favourite was the doughnuts - the closest thing to fairground doughnuts Meg has had since diagnosis!

Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience. On this occasion, we were very satisfied customers. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed my visit here and was given a large water bowl, with ice!

Ady & Meg.

This was a lovely there-and-back walk from Dawlish to Dawlish Warren. Flossie was not allowed on most of the beaches, so we stuck to the promenade. When we reached Dawlish Warren, there was a small section of beach that she was allowed on, and we had great fun playing in the sea. 

We eventually reached signs on the beach which said no dogs, and there was no dog friendly path to continue our walk, so that was our cue to retrace our steps back to Dawlish. 

Flossie.

My favourite part of this walk was of course the beach!

Ady & Meg.

We had such high hopes for this place...

Gluten free fish and chips are fairly easy to come by these days, but we picked this shop due to the great reviews. Their website stated that they took allergies very seriously, and over the phone the staff member was very reassuring in terms of the measures they took to avoid cross contamination. 

When we arrived, the server did not seem to have an understanding of what items were gluten free. Luckily the chef on the other side of the fryers was a lot more clued up, although he did not prepare our whole order.

We ordered gluten free cheesy chips, and a gluten free cod. The fish was cooked to order and you could tell - it was still hot and tasted fresh. The chips on the other hand were unfortunately disgusting - old, overcooked, and worst of all - cold! They were so cold in fact, that the cheese didn't even begin to melt! 

Perhaps we caught them on a bad day, but after this experience we aren't keen to return...

Flossie.

I waited in the car outside with Ady 🐾

Ady & Meg.

We were amazed to find a castle that Flossie was allowed into, so we simply had to visit this place!

We arrived at around 2pm on a Sunday afternoon, and there was a large and slow moving queue at the entrance - a little disappointing given that we had booked online. 

Once in, we visited the castle's rose garden and walked up to the Belvedere, which was a much longer walk than we were expecting! 

Admittedly we found the other outdoor elements of the castle grounds a little underwhelming, but what we were really there to see was the inside of the castle! 

Once inside, what really struck us was how friendly and helpful all of the staff were - they weren't just there to make sure you didn't touch anything, they actually wanted to engage with you and tell you interesting and funny stories about the place!

The star event was of course seeing the striking blue staircase, and a member of staff even showed us the secret passageway (although we weren't allowed in there).

All in all this was a great afternoon out, made particularly special because we could see everything together (rather than having to take it in turns to sit outside with Flossie). It is a must for castle-loving dog owners!

Flossie. 

There were a lot of interesting smells in this place - and I really was not keen to walk across the landing...? 👻

Ady & Meg.

This tea room was a great find. Not only were we surprised to find a tea room which Flossie was allowed into (this is really rare), but we were amazed at the size of the gluten free scones - they were huge! 

Our waiter was super attentive and explained that some of the owner's family members were Coeliac, so they knew how to cater to us safely. On the day that we went, there were gluten free cheese scones on the specials board, so we ordered those and a cream tea to share. Ady also ordered a sandwich, but it really wasn't needed due to the size of the scones and how generous they were with the jam, cream and chutneys! 

Flossie.

I loved it here, as the waitress made a fuss of me and gave me some treats! 😋

Ady & Meg.

This is a great cliff top hike, with lovely coastline views.

The car park is ANPR and we had to go online after leaving the car park to pay (stating how long we were there, rather than the system telling us). This always makes us a bit nervous, but this is probably still better than guessing how long you will be for pay and display!

The route first passes through a park, which was full of dogs off leads - not great for our reactive pooch! But once we crossed a couple of roads and started to walk along the coast, we hardly saw a soul! 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, although it did not once take me close to the sea so that I could swim?!

Ady & Meg.

This was such a lovely walk! We arrived very early in the morning and it was already busy, but mostly with divers, so we didn't see many people on the walk itself. We really enjoyed the views and how peaceful it was there. The terrain was a mixture of boardwalk and more rocky/wet areas, so decent footwear is recommended. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk. I was allowed on Babbacombe beach, but not Oddicombe. 

Ady & Meg.

We loved this shabby-chic little cottage! 

Although small, it was spread over 4 floors, with low ceilings and a HUGE bathtub! Although we did not cook whilst here (we were very lucky to have plenty of options to eat out in the local area) the kitchen seemed well equipped to cook basic meals. 

The bed was very comfortable, and there was a lovely view of the estuary from the window. It was a great base for exploring Dawlish and the surrounding area!

Flossie.

Ady & Meg.

This restaurant situated on a holiday park was a great find!

Although they didn't have as many gluten free options as other restaurants that we have given 5 stars to, we have given them this rating due to the behaviours we witnessed which made Meg feel super safe!

The waitress who took our order was happy to check with the chef regarding how the kitchen would avoid cross contamination, and confirmed that our gluten free pizza would be cooked on a separate tray, and our chips in a separate fryer etc. When a different waiter was assigned to bring our food to us, we overheard the chef tell him to wash his hands, as he would be carrying food to a Coeliac - perfect!

Our pizza, although small in comparison to others that we have had, was very tasty and we were excited to be able to have gluten free vegan profiteroles for pudding!

Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience. On this occasion, we were very satisfied customers. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed my visit here and was given a water bowl 🐾

Ady & Meg.

This was a nice coastal walk. Definitely not the easiest due to the terrain, but we really liked Watcombe beach as it was secluded, so we had it pretty much to ourselves. Maidencombe beach on the other hand has a cafe and toilets, so it was much more crowded. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, as I was allowed on both beaches!

Ady & Meg.

This was a nice mostly flat walk. Flossie wasn't allowed on the main Teignmouth Beach, so we had to stick to the promenade for much of the walk. She was allowed on Back Beach and the beach closest to Sprey Point, so she did still get to dip her paws. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, and even managed to find a stick!

Ady & Meg.

This is a lovely little walk, with a great view, but we couldn't help but go off route very quickly. This is because the walk didn't include what we deem to be the star attraction in the area - Smugglers Tunnel!

The tunnel is believed to have been used by smugglers in the 18th century as a secret route to transport goods. It provides access to a secluded beach (the same beach that you will have cliff top views of if you follow AllTrails) and we think it's absolutely worth the short detour!

To get to the tunnel, follow signs to Smugglers Tunnel / the toilets from the car park. Once you've been through the tunnel and explored the beach, simply retrace your steps towards the car park to pick up the AllTrails route - easy!

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk - partly because it goes through woodland so I found lots of sticks, but also because the detour meant I could swim in the sea - I'm not allowed on all the beaches in the area.

Ady & Meg.

We completed this hike on one of the hottest days of the year so far. We arrived early and the carpark was already fairly busy, with both daytrippers and people who had stayed the night. 

The hike begins with a very steep climb up, but once up there it is fairly flat...until it's time to come down. The descent is again incredibly steep, and we can imagine even more slippery after rain. 

Once down, you need to cross a stream to get back to the carpark - we had no issue doing this, but appreciate the water may be higher after a period of rain. 

All in all, this was a great challenging hike with great views.

Flossie.

I loved this walk as there were streams at the start and finish AND a short section of forest with LOADS of sticks! 🐶

Ady & Meg.

This is such a cool restaurant! Being 100% gluten free of course makes things so much easier (and safer!) and they have a decent amount of vegetarian options too (which can also be made vegan on request). 

The menu can feel a bit daunting on your first visit, but the staff are super friendly and helpful, and were able to identify options which weren't too spicy for us. 

The tacos are soft shell and although the portions look smaller, are surprisingly filling! We opted for a couple of different types to share, plus some chips and dips, and were suitably full. 

This restaurant also has a pudding menu with items you don't tend to find gluten free - cheesecake and churros! We will be returning to try these 😋

Flossie.

I was not invited on this adventure ☹

Meg.

This cute little arboretum was a last minute visit for a friend and I. When we arrived it was fairly quiet, bar the huge queue at the tearoom. We had booked online (which is cheaper) but unfortunately when we arrived the entrance lodge had a sign saying to go to the tea room for entry. We had somehow managed to time our arrival at the same time as a bunch of hungry cyclists, so by the time we made it to the till to get our wristbands we were 25 minutes passed our entry time (this was not a problem). 

For us, the highlight of visiting the Arboretum and Gardens was the Italian Garden, which had a couple of pretty water features and at this time of the morning we had it to ourselves - it was very peaceful. When we returned a mere half hour later, it was quite the opposite - very busy with families playing in and around the water. 

We spent no more than about 45 minutes wandering before we'd exhausted the grounds, so decided to go and try out the tearoom. As this was a last minute plan, I had not had time to 'coeliac dance' the tearoom before arrival, so we did all of this in person. I was pleased to find that I was able to have a gluten free scone and my vegan friend was able to have a vegan scone, both clear of cross contamination.

As for other items I am not so confident - I was told I could have bread but not toast, and although there were some gluten free cakes and each cake had its own stand and potentially knife, I don't think I observed hand washing between handling each one. I do feel that had they had warning of my arrival, they would have been more prepared. 

Overall this was a nice and reasonably priced day out.

Going at the end of June meant that we were far too early for Autumn, and a bit late for Spring - I can't help but wonder if we'd get a totally different experience during these seasons?

Flossie. 

I was not invited on this adventure, but well behaved dogs on leads are welcome!

Ady & Meg.

This place is an absolute gem!

As per usual process we reached out to the pub in advance to check that they could cater to a Coeliac safely and their response was incredibly thorough - separate work space, utensils, fryer and even a pizza oven! 

When we arrived, the staff were incredibly accommodating and reassuring, explaining that two staff members had been diagnosed with Coeliac Disease. Their gluten free menu (pictured below) was huge, and wasn't even the only options available to us - all of the items on the Specials Board could be made gluten free, as could everything on their pizza menu! 

Not being used to having so much choice, we opted for a pizza, lasagne, burger and lemon cake to share, and they were all delicious! And the price was incredibly reasonable!

Obviously as always, please use your own judgement - this is a restaurant which contains gluten and we completely appreciate that it's often the staff member that you deal with who makes the experience. On this occasion, we were very satisfied customers. 

Flossie.

I enjoyed my visit here, and was pleased to be given a water bowl. 

Ady & Meg.

This hike has amazing views given how short a hike it is! Once you have found somewhere to park the views are almost instant, and just get better and better the higher you climb! 

It is quite a steep hike, but the path is obvious and we completed it in just 1.5 hours. We hardly saw anyone on this walk, which was surprising given that it was a beautiful Saturday morning (although that said, if it had been busy, parking would have been a nightmare!)

Flossie.

I enjoyed this walk, although there were a lot of sheep on route so it was a good job that I was kept on lead.