Visit Wales: Ogmore Central Beach

This week we decided to embrace the sunshine (which is very few and far between in Wales) and head to the beach. 

Beach from the surf.

In the Summer season finding a decent beach that allows dogs has always been a challenge. I used thebeachguide.com to find dogfriendly beaches and we headed to the nearest one: Ogmore Central (just East of Porthcawl).

We loaded all 4 dogs into the car and took off; an experience with 3 adults in a 2 door car!

When we got there I was so happy that it wasn't just a pebble beach and there was actually sand! I have experienced my fair share of dog beaches and they're normally the ones people don't care about. Sad I know.

So many shots of great places for dogs to pee... apparently!

I quickly attached the gopro to the dog and away we went.

The beach was huge. If you don't like dogs, definitely do not come here (though I don't know why you would come to a dog beach then...)

The car parking was a bit of a faff, £1 for 1 hour or £5 for anything more... a bit of a rip, so we put in a quid and then kept any eye on the car. 

This is my old man, 10 years old this year! Bless him.

There were reasonable winds that day and the waves grew substantially as the day went on and the tide came in. 

Numerous people told me how brave I was for going into the water in a bikini - not one that was well fitting to be quite honest! This is made especially apparent when The Boyfriend has gone in fully dressed.

Do I look super comfortable?

I had a lovely day and so did the dogs. There were toilets but by the time we were ready to go they seemed miles away, so we just got changed with the protection of towels by the car.

Finding a pub on the way home for food was an experience. We were so lucky that we stopped by the Toby Carvery in Bridgend. They were so accommodating to all the dogs, even brought out sausages for them! I will recommend that everyone go there :)

Chat soon,

Rhiannon x

Animal Friendly Traveling | Avoiding Animal Cruelty as a Tourist

I originally wanted to discuss some of the places in the tourist world that abuse animals for entertainment, but then I decided that it would be far more productive to talk about ways to avoid tourist destinations that abuse animals for profit.

photo from globalelephant.org

Throughout the world there are many organisations that abuse animals for profit. In the West SeaWorld is probably the most infamous. Yet over the last month or so I've noticed more criticism for global tourist attractions filtering through social media, predominantly Tiger Temple in Thailand. Both of these places take animals from the wild at very young ages and place them into captivate. SeaWorld force Orcas and Dolphins to swim for humans and do shows. Where as Tiger Temple drug the tigers and encourage tourists to sit on them and take selfies.

For some of the most majestic animals on the planet this isn't the nicest way to live, just for 5 minutes of entertainment.

So given that quite grim and preachy intro, here are some of my tips for being a more conscientious tourist:

Research: No one wants to do research, which is why you're reading this blog. However, research on specific places can benefit you a lot. Sadly it does mean that you'll miss out on a lot of tourist attractions, but I'm sure the animals will appreciate it. I spend a lot of time wishing I'd visited places before I became aware.

Conservations: Wild life conservation and nature reserves are great ways to see animals without harming them. Here you can interact with animals from the wild without contributing to their captivity. In most places your fare or donation will help the animals recuperate before being returned to the wild, happier and healthier. But beware, many animals here have been hurt in some way so may not be the prettiest. 

Scuba Diving in Koh Tao 2014

Visit their habitat: I became a PADI certified diver in 2011 (my open water course) and I've never looked back. Seeing sea animals in their own world is a completely different experience. The majestic nature of animals is amazing and I think this is definitely the best way to do it. 

Raise Awareness: Say you've decided to go somewhere that you've done research and everything seems ligit, but something seems off. If you notice the carers carrying weapons and behaving like guards, or animals being uncharacteristically docile, tell someone. Most people suggest telling the manager but I think they're probably aware, I think you should take to social media, report what you've seen exactly as you see it. It'll make more people aware than ever just complaining to someone who probably doesn't care.

If you have any other tips let me know in the comments!
Rhiannon