Channel Islands

Old Dec 12th, 2013, 05:30 AM
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Channel Islands

Hello All, I see from an extensive evening surfing past forums that there are a few channel island friends on the forum. I am planning a trip for the end of April beginning of May 2014. Got some very helpful advice on getting to Cardiff but have since decided that the gardens probably won't be at their best that early so have shifted focus south. I am now thinking about a week in Channel Islands. The general theme seems to be 3 days is enough but I want to walk the islands and beaches and visit as many gardens as possible. I am tentatively thinking 3 nights on Guernsey with walking about to said venues, then boat to Sark. Stay on Sark 3 nights. Visit garden and do coasteering and kayaking with adventure Sark. Then back to Guernsy and out to Hern to stay over 1 or 2 nights, walk the gardens sit on beach. Then home. Am I being an under achiever. Will I be bored after 1 day on Guernsey? Thanks K
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Old Dec 12th, 2013, 06:30 AM
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Why not Jersey? I found Jersey more whatever than Guernsey even though both aere really neat - Guernsey is small - 30 square miles or about 5 x 6 miles so in two days you could cover everything of interest.

Both islands are neat - each having their own unique breed of cows which I found nice - especialy those soft-looking Jersey cows.

Sark is so so tiny what would you do in three days there - I'd spend a day there or in Alderney and spend a few days on Jersey to boot.
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Old Dec 12th, 2013, 06:41 AM
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You need something to do on Sark so going kayaking is a great idea. Herm ( a whole day??) would drive me a little mad and think it might rain/storm. I'd swap it for Alderney which at least has some good walks.

Jersey is a bit more candi-floss (though the people there would not like me to say it).

The whole place is a bit dull but if you like water, fish and some fascinating history you will be fine. You could even try and understand what the true locals (not the stock brokers) are saying in their mixed Norman French/English when they chat to each other.

Sounds like a good trip.
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Old Dec 12th, 2013, 07:27 AM
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Jersey is geographically twice the size of Guernsey with a population of around 100,000 compared to the Guernsey population of 63,500. As a result Jersey tends to feel much more cosmopolitan compared to Guernsey with a more diversified population and Jersey has a far bigger selection of hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shops, cinema and museums. For example, Jersey has four Michelin starred restaurants and a renown Relais Chateau Hotel, whereas Guernsey has none. (This time of year a lot of people travel from Guernsey to Jersey to do their Christmas shopping.)

Jersey also has better communication links with direct flights to the UK, Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva and Amsterdam and is served by British Airways and EasyJet from London, unlike Guernsey, which is dependent on its own government owned airline, Aurigny, maintaining its London lifeline route,when Flybe pull out next March. Guernsey is limited by its shorter runway meaning that airlines like BA and EasyJet cannot operate 737 and A320 jets there with commercial passenger loads. (If flying long haul into London with BA they will often throw in the Jersey sector for free.) Also Jersey is much closer to France leading to direct daily ferry sailings to Normandy and Brittany, making day trips easier, unlike Guernsey which is positioned twice as far away from France to the north west.

More cruise ships visit Guernsey, but that is because St Peter Port offers a more protected sheltered anchorage than Jersey for visiting ships too big for the harbour.

Whereas, the capital of Guernsey, St Peter Port, is undoubtedly quainter than the capital of Jersey, St Helier, which is much more developed, the countryside in Jersey is far prettier due to the numerous valleys and is still relatively unspoilt. In Guernsey by comparison the Island is flatter and has suffered from suburbanisation and ribbon development along most roads leaving far less undeveloped countryside. Also Guernsey slopes to the north, whereas Jersey slopes to the south meaning it is usually a few degrees warmer.

In my opinion Guernsey is great for a couple of days with side trips to Herm and Sark, weather permitting,but Jersey has far more to do and has far less of a feeling of being on a small island, with side trips to Normandy and Brittany easier to arrange, so better for a longer stay.

As an aside if considering surfing or kayaking be aware that controversially Guernsey still pumps untreated sewage into the sea unlike Jersey.
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 01:00 AM
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For US forum members that have wondered, the similar names of Jersey and New Jersey are more than a co-incidence, but due to close historical links. I won’t spoil it by going into the details here, but for those who are interested it makes for interesting research, especially if you are planning to visit Jersey and come from the Garden State.
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 01:52 AM
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Very interesting sprogster, I think this is something I may have to look into.
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 06:24 AM
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do they pronounce it "Joy-sey" in Jersey?
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 06:47 AM
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no, they speak proper ;-)
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 05:06 PM
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I take the advice given to me on this forum very seriously. I know we don't all want the same thing from a vacation. I live in a near very developed part of North America so when I read...."Jersey has a far bigger selection of hotels, restaurants, nightlife, shops, cinema and museums. For example, Jersey has four Michelin starred restaurants and a renown Relais Chateau Hotel, " it actually had the opposite affect you intended. My goal is to experience the flora and fauna of the areas I visit.

On the other hand..."the countryside in Jersey is far prettier due to the numerous valleys and is still relatively unspoilt" this is what I want to hear about. I will look into Jersey and see about adding it to itinerary. If I wanted a small town environment what secondary town might you suggest.

I will be targeting gardens to visit where I go so any particular suggestions on the channel islands would be appreciated.
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 05:21 PM
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>>it actually had the opposite affect you intended. My goal is to experience the flora and fauna of the areas I visit.
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 07:11 PM
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Our trip to Guernsey was the first week of May, and it was too cold (at least for me) to consider sitting on a beach, kayaking, etc. We did do several self-guided walks along the cliffs, but it was windy, cool and a bit damp.

We visited Alderney in October, and the weather was much warmer and dryer at that time. We walked all over the island. There are several nature preserves and sea-bird colonies and a fair amount of World War II and Nazi occupation history. There's also a weird little rail line from Braye Harbour to Mannez Lighthouse, with a steam engine pulling old London tube carriages.

Lots of flowers and beautiful views on both islands, but I think I most enjoyed Alderney's lack of development.

FYI, the ferries to Sark and Herm can be cancelled in bad weather. A short day trip to Herm was enough for us. Sark would only be worth an overnight to me if the weather was clear and sunny.
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Old Dec 13th, 2013, 07:15 PM
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Hi Kinlock,

I have not been to the Channel Islands but would recommend watching (available on CD) the Masterpiece Theater production of ISLAND AT WAR - “a five-part tale of collaboration, resistance, loss, and love, Island at War dramatizes the fate of the Channel Islands, occupied by German troops in 1940 as a prelude to the planned invasion of Britain.” A riveting tale of life on the island of Guernsey from the perspective of all classes of society during the Nazi occupation.

Also suggest reading the acclaimed THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrow, another powerful description of life on the islands during WWII.

Please let us know about your visit to the islands…
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 01:10 AM
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At the risk of sounding like one of those Irish folk who say, "I wouldn't start from here", if you want beautiful scenery, beaches and wildlife, I'd skip the Channel Islands and go to the Scillies.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/handsonnature/islands/scilly.shtml

There's only one big garden on Tresco, but it's well worth seeing.
One thing that enchanted me was the tameness of the birds. They are quite fearless and will eat out of your hand. It says a lot for the Scillonians and also for the kind of tourists who visit the islands
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 01:15 AM
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Sorry I'm a bit late to the party - I've been away.

If I wanted a small town environment what secondary town might you suggest.

There aren't any - these islands are so small there's only room for one moderate sized town at most. Guernsey has St Peter Port, Jersey has St Helier (which is a very busy, built up place). Apart from that there's just small villages and little groups of cottages on their own.

I will be targeting gardens to visit where I go so any particular suggestions on the channel islands would be appreciated.

Ditto Janis's recommendation for Samares Manor just outside St Helier. But I think you'll be even more knocked out by La Seigneurie Gardens on Sark: http://www.laseigneuriegardens.com/gardens.html

Haven't been but I've heard good thing about Reg's Gardens at St Brelades's Bay in Jersey. In addition, there are many fantastic walks through the islands' countryside and coastlines (especially Jersey's famous "Green Lanes") where you can see carpets of wild flowers in Spring and early Summer - when you are going is perfect timing.
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 06:03 AM
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Since last night I have been looking into Jersey a bit more and am quite intrigued by the idea of staying at Nicolle tower and seeing a bit of Jersey. There looks like some interesting walking including a large tidal walk. Since I grew up in a place of long tides and have had experience rescuing those trapped by incoming tides I would like to check out this beach. As suggested I have found the two gardens, Reg and Samares so I think I will take all this advice in hand, switch Herm to a day trip only and add a few nights in Jersey. I was planning to do the rest of the trip without a car but think I will have to break down and rent one on Jersey. Really taking shape now. Thanks for the help. K
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 06:11 AM
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I just wanted to check in and say I looked at Scilly and it looks very interesting, I would definitely think of that for a future trip. Truth is i read the Potato Peel book 5 years ago and have been waiting every since to get a chance to see Guernsey so I am very committed to that part of the trip. Also of note is that I hate travelling by boat and am very susceptible to sea sickness (except for some reason in a canoe or kayak where I am in control then no problem). If I fly to Guernsey, travel to Sark and Hern (short trips) then I just have to get through the trip one way to Jersey and could fly home from there. There will definitely be a trip report at the end. K
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 07:21 AM
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Sounds like a wonderful trip shaping up.

I went to Jersey last Spring and really enjoyed it. Got lots of help on the forum, especially from Gordon_R.
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 07:35 AM
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Best way to get from Guernsey to Jersey is to fly and there are two airlines that offer shuttle flights between the islands, Aurigny and Blue Islands. The flight time must be one of the shortest in the world at 15mins as the two islands are only 27 miles apart. If you want to take the boat, the service is offered by Condor operating very large high speed car ferries, but has a lower frequency than the airlines.
Jersey has 50 miles of specially designated Green Lanes which are narrow country lanes with a 15mph limit and walkers, horses and cyclists take priority. Long cliff paths to the North and with the third highest tidal range in the world miles of tidal walks on coast. (40' on a Spring tide).
Jersey has become a very popular walking vacation destination in recent years, especially for German tourists who arrive in droves on direct flights from Germany May onwards.
Last but not least Jersey is renown for its military fortifications covering the 11th century through the Napoleanic wars to the occupation during word war two. Because Jersey is much closer to France, only 12 miles, these are much more prevalent on that Island. The most famous castle and arguably one of the most photogenic in the world is Mont Orgeuil or Gorey Castle.
Last but not least Jersey is also well known for its Neolithic sites like Houge Bie.
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 07:41 AM
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If you visit Jersey you might bump into its most famous current son, Henry Cavill! For other historical US connections Google Lille Langtry.
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Old Dec 14th, 2013, 10:45 AM
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We did the hop from Jersey to Guernsey with Aurigny - it's very cheap. It was a tiny 12 seater with the cockpit open to the cabin. We were directly behind the pilot so had a brilliant view out the front as we skimmed over the waves.

We stayed in St Brelades Bay, and having driven all over the island were glad we picked there. It's small and relatively quiet, but with enough choice of hotels and restaurants to keep us happy for a few days. I'd recommend a sea view room at the Golden Sands hotel - it's on the beach overlooking the ever changing bay and had the friendliest staff I have encountered in any hotel in the world.
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