By Shelley Foreman
As I enjoy cycling, have a passion for train travel and am a happy seafarer, a trip to the Isle of Wight seemed perfect! Having never been before, I was keen to explore while experiencing a stay in the safari tents at Southland campsite in Newchurch on the island. It's a few miles inland from Sandown rather than Ryde itself, but as you'll discover, getting there is all part of the adventure.
A holiday without a car is gaining popularity for a variety of reasons: sustainability, fuel prices, or just to be more energetic (the latter always seems like a great idea until the time comes.) A lot of people don’t drive, but still love to get away from it all in the great outdoors.
My first long distance biking holiday was going from East Grinstead to Paris with one of my best friends a few years ago. It was an amazing experience. Taking a few days, stopping off at some beautiful places along the way. You see so much when travelling by bike. Cycling through the hectic streets of Paris after all the country roads was eye opening, or 'truly exhilarating' according to my friend.
The Isle of Wight is a little less intense.
My daughter and mum were coming along for the adventure, but they, feeling less enthusiastic about getting in the saddle, decided to travel by bus then train. As I know myself well, I wanted to ensure the route I took gave me the option to be able to jump on the train should my legs or saddle need a rest. I had already made plans to meet my colleague Mike at Chichester to cycle with me into Portsmouth - a decision I very much appreciated on the day!
I'll be honest, I'm not a detailed planner. I'm more of a ‘rough idea with a few deadlines’ person (like ferry times or when to meet in the pub). My route planning essentially consisted of putting East Grinstead to Portsmouth Harbour into Google Maps and quickly checking that a train station would be nearby if my legs tired.
All my bike adventures are done on my mountain bike, a 40th birthday present to myself (we won't mention when that was)!
As I'm heading towards a great campsite with full facilities and a fully kitted out safari tent, I didn't need to pack much.
After an early start of rolling clothes, squeezing toiletries, headphones, notebook, pen, travelling moose and more rolled clothes into my saddle bag, I was packed ready to go.
It was hat on, chin strap clipped, gloves on then off again to set my route. The first section is from the town heading to the Worth Way, part of the National Cycle Route 21. So, there were no worries about traffic. The next section was through part of Tilgate Forest, nice quiet tracks with beautiful tall trees. Lovely smells of nature's fragrances filling the air.
After that it was a road section leading onto the The Downs link. The weather for the whole time was stunning. Bright blue skies, birds and at one point a squirrel appeared to be racing alongside me. Unexpectedly I came across another CAMC UK Club campsite, Slinfold which is next to the The Downs link, so it's perfect for those looking for an escape into the middle of nature.
I didn't stop, my legs said if we stopped we won't start again. So, I listened and carried on.
Over 30 miles from where I started, my saddle had had enough of me so I headed to the nearest train station which was Billingshurst about six miles out of the way. I was very happy when I arrived with enough time to pop to the shop to get a cold drink. I hopped on the train from Billingshurst to Chichester. Did I feel guilty? Not at all!
Feeling much more refreshed and after making a train change, it was time to get back in the saddle. With a little grimace I cycled on into Chichester to the pub to meet Mike. By this time, I was very happy to see him and we set off chatting away to Portsmouth. A lot of the route was on the roads but some had nice cycle lanes. The views were lovely and the smells of the sea as we cycled into Portsmouth. I was beaming as we arrived and I met my daughter and my mum. Waiting to hear about their adventures on the way down as from last experience there will always be a funny story.
And I wasn't wrong, my mum had apparently got stuck on the train as the doors closed before she could get off. Then when she was rescued by my daughter (only had to press the open door button) my mum got off then got her hat stuck in the closing doors.
So we were all safe and ready to get on the ferry. We booked the foot passenger ferry, which departs from the pier at the end of Portsmouth Quays station. Incredibly handy. Very easy and straightforward even with my bike. Once on board, I locked the bike up and we sat on the upper deck ready to soak up the rays and watch the sunshine glistening brightly on the calm waters.
I knew it was only a short journey, but until on the ferry I didn't realise how short. The 20-minute journey, leaves the mighty Spinnaker Tower behind and arrives at Ryde Pier. Unlocking the bike after I eventually found my bike lock keys, we headed off the ferry in search of the train to Sandown. Turns out the train is two minutes away. Very convenient. We didn't have long to wait on the platform for the island train. Once aboard we were chatting to the very friendly conductor.
Once at Sandown station, it was about a ten minute walk into the town. We went to get our food supplies for dinner. As usual it took us all a bit of time to agree on dinner. Then after leaving mum and Anneli at the bus stop as I couldn't take the bike on a bus, they waited to get the number 8 to the campsite. I was back in the saddle telling myself 'it's only another 4 miles'.
The cycle was lovely, along a flat route called the Red Squirrel Trail. Enjoying all the wildlife and noises of nature. But, there were no racing squirrels on this section. What was less lovely was the incredible steep hill at the end to get into Newchurch. It wasn't long, but it was long enough. My legs had done enough rotating for one day!
I have never felt so happy to arrive at a campsite before. What a long day. I checked in with very friendly site staff. I very quickly spotted the ice-cream for sale at reception so dived in. A well deserved treat. Actually, I think I bought two.
My mum and daughter arrived not long after I did. We were all very happy with the campsite, the clean facilities and the layout. My mum came back and proclaimed 'the toilets and showers are so clean and lovely, I'm very impressed.' The safari tent set up is brilliant. All kitted out with a kitchen area with all the essentials and a dining area. Two bedrooms. Nice and spacious. Clean and tidy and incredibly welcoming after our trip.
There were four safari tents set up in the glamping area. Nicely spaced out, so not feeling overlooked. Each had a parking space and BBQ area. We had been incredibly lucky with the April weather but I'm definitely glad I brought my layers, as the nights were chilly. The beds were comfy and duvets were warm but I still slept in my thick PJs.
It was so relaxing sitting on the porch in the evening as the sun was setting, enjoying a nice cup of tea or glass of wine. The facilities were only a short walk from the tent, which was handy for those middle of the night visits.
The campsite itself is set in a beautiful location. Very clean and tidy and very well laid out. There's a playground with stunning views of the surrounding area, and a lovely dog walk. The facilities are clean and well maintained. There's also a laundry room. The information room is packed with details about the island, public transport, places of interest and if you can’t find what you are looking for just ask the site staff at reception who are very friendly and helpful. There's a light aircraft airport nearby so you can watch the planes in the distance. The road runs alongside the campsite, we could hear the cars going past from our tent but nothing too noisy.
The next day, after a well deserved lay in, we explored the campsite then headed into Sandown on the bus, which was a few minutes walk from the site. After a few hours exploring we headed back to the campsite to relax. There are plenty of things to do nearby, or by bus journey. It's also a great base if you want to explore the area by bike. On this occasion, I didn't want to get back on my bike until it was home time.
The main thing I learnt, beyond how easy the journey is and how much there is to explore, was that I really must train before setting out on long bike rides. I covered about 60 miles that day in the saddle. My bike had been in the shed since the previous summer. My legs were ok as I go to the gym but the saddle was less prepared for those miles.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Next time I would definitely stay for longer and I'd love to be with a cycling buddy, enjoying the company exploring, taking in the surroundings and chatting the miles away. It would be a great way to explore the island even more, especially knowing you have a comfy bed, a place to cook and just relax after your day's adventure. The Experience Freedom safari tents offer great accommodation and everything you need to enjoy this beautiful countryside.
Heading home on the return journey, I took the train for most of the way back, only having to cycle the last eight miles from Three Bridges station, which was actually very pleasant. The bike is now back in the shed, but it definitely won't be in there for long.
