Frances

My computer having somehow deleted my password, its some time since I posted here. I've been prompted to contact the site and find out my password by this post.
Sometimes you can see that a question captures someones interest and you can get so much useful information as you've had here from AR. It now seems that I am from the same area as him if not the same school! I'm left wondering where is 7 miles from Carreg Cennen- is it Ammanford, Llangadog, Gwynfe?
Can I add that if you are eating in Machynlleth I recommend the Wynnstay. For many years I have eaten in the White Lion which had a varied and good menu and was useful because they were happy to serve a Sunday roast to one person and sandwiches to another in the same party which rarely happens. However I think there has been a change of ownership and we had less than a welcome there at Christmas as a result of which we looked somewhere else. We had a lovely imaginative meal in the Wynnstay. I had a West Coast seafood casserole which left me licking my lips. My Dad really fancied cheese for his desert but it wasn't on the menu. He told the waitress how disappointed he was and she returned with a wonderful plate of 5 cheeses. Shortly afterwards the Times published a list of the best pizza restaurants in Britain and the pizza restaurant in the Wynnstay was No. 1. Next time through we tried it and it was good and fast.
Finally I take issue with A.R. about the road to Dolgellau through Corris. The first 5 miles out of Machynlleth is the most carsick inducing , windy stretch of the whole journey from north to south. I may be jaded though as I've travelled this road 9 weekends out of the last 10!
Where do you stay on this trip?

AR

Hello Frances. I'm from Tycroes (my feet have measured the distance to Carreg Cennen several times due to sponsored walks!) but now living in Bridgend. I was at Amman Valley comp from 1978 to 1985. My mother taught at Fairfach primary school for many years.

I still love the drive to Dolgellau, especially around Cadair Idris although I concede that it is more dramatic if you face south!!

To Travelinwifey - Swansea is Cardiff's historic rival city (sorry, Newport) and was the birthplace of Dylan Thomas. It lies to the east of the Gower peninsula - an area of outstanding natural beauty (and traffic in summer).
It was called a "beautiful ugly place" if I recall rightly by Thomas and he's not far wrong! The city itself isn't worth a detour but perhaps the Gower is.
Coming from Nevada, you may be interested in Pendine, a little way down the coast and about 7 miles from Laugharne. This is where several land speed records were performed along the sands, including Campbell's "Bluebird". There is a museum there that includes all the events and tells of J.G.Parry-Thomas who was killed whilst attemtping the Land speed record in 1927 whilst driving the car "Babs". As a mark of respect, the car was buried but exhumed in 1969 and spent the next 15 years being restored. It is now to be seen in the village's museum.

travelinwifey

Hi Fodors friends! Sorry it took a bit to respond, we became proud godparents yesterday

Thanks for joining in on the conversation Frances! And thanks again for your responses Historytraveler and AR! It amazes me how much you all know about Wales. Being a resident helps I suppose!

Regarding accomodations, we will be staying at:

http://www.celtic-manor.com/
http://www.llangoedhall.com/home.php

and I'm not sure yet about other accomodations, I've asked Mr. Davies to makt the accoodations as historic as possible. They are to be of 4-5* quality. I am not sure if he has special arrangements with the hotels or not so we'll leave that portion up to him I believe. Has anyone heard of these two retreats? They look lovely.

Do you all think the the ride from Dolgellau through Corris is very scenic, and is it a hilltop drive, or just windy? I am a bit afraid of letting someone else drive us along hilly windy roads for safety reasons, though I am sure we are in good hands.

I have my handy map of Wales here and I am looking at the distances on the map, exactly how much driving time is it from the north to the south of Wales?

Thanks for the suggestion about the White Lion restaurant, we'd like the visit to be as authentic as possible and want to dine amongst the locals!

And I will definitely research Pendine. You have given me so much to look forward to! And finally, do you have any book recommedations about the area? It could be historic or even supernatual/suspenseful, just anything that helps me catch the feeling of your lovely area.

Thanks again to all, your suggestions have helped me tremendously. I feel most alive in the UK, and if there is such a thing as past lives I'm a limey at heart for sure

Frances

Hot off the press - travelling times from north to south( or vice versa) I've just done this AGAIN today but a return journey in a day this time. From Llandybie(close to Carreg Cennen-yes AR that's where I'm from) to south Anglesey took 3 hours and 15 minutes tonight. That's the fastest I've ever done it. Normally you can count on 4 hours. Its 140 miles.
The road through Corris is not mountain top it winds along the side of the valley just off the floor- I thought of AR as I drove along there tonight.
I think your accomodation list must be longer than you print travelin wifey as the Celtic Manor is off the M4 east of Cardiff and I think Llangoed Hall is about 15 minutes out of Brecon but the name of the village escapes me. Both of these are south and I think that unless the rest of your trip is day tours you will have accomodation in mid and north Wales .If you have any input I'd request the Hotel Portmeirion outside Porthmadog. I have banged on about this glorious place ad infinitum in the past so just search it.Also well thought of is Bodysgallen just outside Llandudno. I've never stayed there but the meal I had was good.

caroline_edinburgh

I've not been there, just seen it when driving past, but the whole idea of Celtic Manor has always seemed bizarre to me. It's supposed to be 5 stars; but it is a brand new (& IMO not terribly attractive) big complex overlooking the M4 motorway just outside Newport, itself a not terribly attractive town. With a golf course. It got some sort of government handout for its construction because it was picked to host a few days' golf in ten years' time (as it was then).However I don't suppose you'll be spending much time there, so I expect it will be comfortable enough. Just hope you're not expecting it to be charming & historic !

vcl

While traveling through the Brecon Beacons, try to make time for a stop at Craig Y Nos, the former home of opera singer Adelina Patti and now being charmingly restored as a hotel. The tiny jewel of a private opera house is still used for performances. The building and grounds are charming and historic and the views are magnificent.

Mucky

Hi all, you have had great responses to your question and there is nothing much that I could add. But I agree about day 4.

The Celtic manor always amazes me too.
I live in Cardiff and 10 mins from the C M Resort.
The original hotel can still be seen dwarfed by the new one, I do really wonder how they ever got permission to build a monstrosity like that, but I hear it's lovely inside and a great place to stay.

Any way I'm just going to sit back and take some tips on where I can go in Wales for my hols..



Muck

caroline_edinburgh

Hi Mucky - forgot to say before that we found our tour of the Assembly building v. interesting.

Mucky

Hi, we went there too, its a great building, but the jury is still out as to whether we needed it.
Personally I don't think so and as my council tax has just gone up loads to pay for it, I am not really too impressed.
But from a visitors point of view it is fantastic.

;-)


Muck

AR

Well, Muck - Cardiffians insisted on having it rather than Swansea!! (What about that Lee Trundle, eh?).

Actually, I find the £3 prescriptions rather handy, and at least Rhodri won't allow the NHS to shed jobs like in England. I must admit that, as an NHS employee, the Assembly is doing a better job at running the NHS and has not thrown all the money at waiting lists. The down side is that the waiting time is way above England. Politics over.

Craig Y nos is an excellent idea. We had a wedding party there not so long ago and the owner gave us a private viewing of the tiny opera house and Patti's bedroom.

I agree about the Celtic Manor. The rates there are astronomic considering where it is. I suppose that someone has to pay for the Ryder Cup course. We tried to book it for a conference and they tried to dictate so much. We were wanted to book up to 80 rooms there but they demanded that 20% of them had to be in the old part of the hotel etc. You'd think that the piper calls the tune, but not with them. It was take it or leave it. We left if and it was actually cheaper to fully pay to fly the 80 delegates out to Montpellier and use hotel and conference facilites there than to hold it in the CM.

travelinwifey

Hi folks! I do apologize for taking so long to respond. My spouse and I were in Florida and the hotel we stayed at previously had internet access but for some reason this time our room did not come equipped with the WEBTV internet access box.

Thanks again for all of your in depth responses and I regret I could not respond sooner.

I had mentioned concerns about the Celtic Manor hotel in a previous email to the tour guide, I really only want to stay in historic properties, the comments confirmed what I was already thinking. I will try to see if we can make alternate hotel arrangements. I had wondered if the company had a special agreement with the property because it sounded as though the guide does prefer for us to stay there, but I may have misunderstood.

Craig Y Nos sounds lovely, I will try to incorporate it into our trip. The more historic, the better

Also, my email is attached if anyone thinks of anything that may be very nice for us.

Can anyone suggest very nice historic hotels or Manor home instead of the Celtic Manor? I'm thinking even if it costs perhaps a bit more now I think we'll be happier

And the Llangoed Hall, it looks very nice and charming, more like what we're looking for. Any comments on the accomodation?

travelinwifey

Oops, I hit the post button before proof reading. If anyone wants to chat or contact me my via email I'm linked above at [email protected]. I'd love to talk to any local residents, you have all been so helpful and if there's any way I can reciprocate please let me know

Mucky

Hi TW,
The Celtic manor resort is classed as a top hotel, although I think they know it too.

There is another place which might interest you, the St Pierre hotel Chepstow, ok I know its a Marriott now but It's a lovely old ex manor house type of hotel I am going to a wedding there in September and looking forward to staying.
Anyway have a look at

http://marriott.co.uk/Channels/globa...ypage/UK/cwlgs

Hope the link works

Muck

AR

I know that it is the western side of Cardiff (whereas the Celtic Manor is to the east) but you could look at the Miskin Manor hotel in Llantrisant. The website is: http://www.miskin-manor.co.uk/web/ma...p;content=home

Alternatively, if your budget is fine for the Celtic Manor then another 5 star hotel is in Cardiff bay, called St David's hotel - http://www.thestdavidshotel.com/

travelinwifey

Thanks Muck and AR, I am going to research the three hotels today. I wish I could stay at them all, they appear to be exactly what we're looking for!

I've bookmarked this thread and when I speak to Mr. Davies again I am going to inquire as to how we can add of these newly suggested spots into the itinerary.

Frances

Not as an option to The Celtic Manor, but another very nice place to stay is Plas Bodegroes restaurant with rooms about 5 miles west of Pwllheli on the Lleyn Peninsula- gorgeous food too

travelinwifey

Thank you Frances, will check that out too

caroline_edinburgh

The St David's is lovely but it's not historic.

crazychick

The Cletic Manor is not in Cardiff but Newport.

travelinwifey

Thanks I've been in touch with the guide and we'll start putting hotel stays together in the upcoming weeks. I'll post back with out choices. Would like to stay by the beach if at all possible a night or two. I'm guessing London is packed with tourists the first week of Sept also, hotel rates are pretty high and the hotel where we stay at often, the Sofitel is sold out which surprised me! I'll try to priceline that portion, the last 4 nights.