Holidays abroad have been a staple of my family's summer routine for the last who knows how many years, and in that time I've been fortunate enough to see a variety of wonderful countries known for their sun, sea and relaxed approach to life. However, with holiday prices constantly rising and myself, my brother and my extended family ever-increasing in age, we know our holiday time together as a family is limited. Apparently, many families are in the same vein of thought, as "staycations" are becoming a popular choice for holiday-makers who either don't want to, or can't afford to go abroad. This year, my family also decided to forgo the hassle of flights and spent a week staying in Enniskillen, exploring our own country - after all, isn't Northern Ireland known for it's beautiful countryside and stunning locations? It was our first proper staycation together and today's post is going to be all about my experience of being on "staycation."

Enniskillen, or more specifically the Killyhevlin Lodges where we stayed, is about a two hour drive from where we live, and even the drive down is an experience in itself. The road is basically a straight road through the countryside and it's surrounding villages, and as someone is primarily city-based I really love being able to see all these little towns and places in my own country that I had never even heard of.

The lodges we stayed in are situated along the front of a river that runs into Lough Erne, and at first it was a little odd to look out the window and see boat, after boat go by day in and day out. The actual cabins have all recently undergone a bit of a make-over and I can only describe them as my idea of perfect. If I ever had the opportunity to build my dream house, this is what it would look like. Open, spacious with an airy but modern feel, surrounded by nature - however I think I would prefer a location that's a little more isolated.


Although the location alludes to feelings of peace, and the feeling that you're completely separated from the rest of the world there's no shortage of tourist attractions and National Trust sites to visit. On our first full day in Enniskillen, we visited the Crom Castle and Estate, a 1,900 acre plot of land that is so spectacularly beautiful I don't even know where to begin. There's forests, old castle ruins that overlook the lough, cabins to stay in, a castle where the owners of the estate actually live, and so much more. As you would expect, we didn't get to walk around the entire estate, and I have no idea how far we walked that day, but here are some pictures of the places we did get to see. 
The next day we had no idea what we wanted to do, so after lots of driving and stopping off to consult the map, we decided to explore the actual town of Enniskillen itself, and to be honest it's like pretty much every other high street. Lots of brand shops, lots of local shops, not shortage of places to eat, but one of the more unique places we discovered as the Buttermarket, hidden away just outside of one of the main streets. 



The market is set out like a village square, with lots of local businesses inside homely, cottage-esque shops, sadly most of which had closed down. However it was really nice to explore something so unique and unexpected tucked away from the busy town centre.



After a bit of lunch, we set off to a variety of different locations, including Castle Archdale, yet another huge national trust park / estate / caravan site. There we were able to hop onto a boat and take a trip out to White Island, one of the various islands that are scattered around the centre of the lough. I may be a fire sign but I'm definitely a water baby at heart, so I absolutely love being able to explore loughs and rivers and discover little hidden gems and White Island in particular gives you the feeling like you're stepping into another century. It's not very big, but as soon as you step off the boat, you're able to see the ruins of an old monastery and walk around the debris. We did intend to rent out our own boat and explore the rest of the islands that are scattered around, but sadly that plan never came to fruition.





The Marble Arch Caves are one of the most popular natural tourist attractions in Northern Ireland, and it's a real shame that it took us so long to visit them because they are beautiful. Situated underneath the beautiful parks of the surrounding area, the caves bring science and nature together in a way that's comprehensible to my tiny, non-science brain - shoutout to our wonderful tour guide for making everything so easy to understand! It's cold, it's wet and it's dark but it's also a truly magical experience. From the boat ride through various parts of the caves, right up to the 150 steps you have to climb on your ascent, it's definitely a lot more than just staring at some rocks!




After that, we headed to another National Trust site, Florence Court House and Gardens, yet another beautiful house situated on some gorgeous grounds with long walks and the prettiest gardens I've ever stepped foot into. I adore anything botanical, so visiting here was an absolute treat. There's a lot to explore even in the gardens themselves, and I can only describe them as a huge floral maze - I'm pretty sure I didn't get to see everything! I did however get to visit the most beautiful rose gardens and a huge apple orchard, and the entire location was like something out of a fairytale / children's book. 




One of the final activities involved returning to Castle Archdale and cycling around the five kilometres of cycling track they provide, including along the lough trail and through an enormous pine forest. Now as someone who considers themselves quite fit without being actively so, I was absolutely knackered after this adventure, so I spent the rest of my staycation relaxed and inactive, so alas we have come to the end of the activities. 



"Staycations" are a concept I can totally get behind. As much as I enjoy the excitement of going abroad and exploring somewhere totally foreign, it's easy to forget to appreciate the places around you. All in all, I really enjoyed getting to explore places that are a little out of the way, but still close to home and I'm not sure I would have had the opportunity to otherwise. I love nothing better than adventures, but I'm also a home bird at heart so I'm definitely going to be investing in more "staycations" in the future. But maybe next time I'll leave my extended family behind - but that's a whole different post altogether!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my little trip away, and who knows? Maybe it's even convinced you to explore the idea of a stay at home holiday!

Until next time, 

Rachel