Jersey - travel review

Looking over the bay the view was astounding. The sea was still and we watched the most amazing sunset as we tucked into a delightful meal.

We were at St Ouen's Bay in Jersey and enjoying food at Big Vern's Diner – a most tranquil location.

The island of Jersey only measures nine by five miles, but you know what they say about good things come in small packages.

We had caught the Liberation ferry with Condor Ferries from Poole in Dorset. Liberation is the first of its kind in Northern Europe with space for up to 880 passengers and 245 cars.

On both crossings the sea was like a mill pond. We were in Ocean Club, where you have a little bit of luxury with a separate lounge, leather reclining seats and tables, free teas and coffees as well as complimentary newspapers.

The five-hour journey just flew by with attentive service from the stewards on the crossing.

There was also a duty free shop, Casquets Bistro serving hot meals, a kiosk and a children's TV room to keep the little ones occupied. Stepping out on the deck was also part of the fun - looking out to sea and also catching a glimpse of Guernsey and Alderney when we docked to let other passengers off.

Home for our long weekend was Merton Hotel in Saint Saviour - it was just a short drive from the port of St Helier, the capital of Jersey.

Merton Hotel is part of the family-owned Seymour Hotels Group. Attached to it are the Merton Suites – 28 self catering luxury apartments, where you can use the facilities of the hotel.

The hotel boasts four restaurants, cafes and bars. There's also entertainment in the Star Room and Boulevard Lounge. There was a comedian on the Friday and the programme seemed action-packed.

Across the road was the Aquadome leisure club - inside there was an 80-metre water slide, a lazy river, and pools. Outside there was a mushroom fountain and another pool.

There was so much to do at the hotel - one minute we were soaking up the sun on deck chairs around the pool at the Aquadome Leisure Club and the next we were trying our hand at Flowrider - the ultimate wave machine.

The club offers Flowrider lessons and under the expert eye of our instructor Charlie we went from barely being able to lie on the bodyboard to kneeling on the board.

We built up a real camaraderie with others in the class and got more determined with each attempt. The muscles did ache for a few days later though!

Food on the island was excellent from the meal we had in Bonetti's in the hotel, Big Vern's Diner and also a Portugeuse restaurant we just managed to drop on close to the hotel.

The staff at Funchal Paradise which was probably a 10-minute walk from our hotel in St Helier couldn't do enough to accommodate us. The place was packed and the food was spot-on. A speciality is espetada, which is a skewer. Mine was beef along with prawns wrapped in bacon - it was delicious.

The views from the coast are beautiful. St Brelades Bay with its golden sand and clear blue sea was enticing. People were having barbecues on the beach and the bar, restaurants and hotels running alongside the beach looked very cosmopolitan.

We whiled away a good few hours before venturing off in our car, continuing along the coast, taking in La Polenta and we finally settled for a meal at Big Vern's Diner at St Ouen's Bay. The island is so easy to get around.

Jersey is also steeped in history and a visit would not be worthwhile without a little exploration.

We visited the quaint fishing village of Gorey and visited Mont Orguile Castle overlooking the Bay of Gorey. This medieval fortress dates back to the 13th century and we were captivated by the warren of rooms, stairs, corridors and towers.

The tide was out when we were there, so it made the castle look more imposing and there were tremendous views across the sea to the French coast.

It was also in Gorey where we sampled the delights of Jersey ice cream.

Modern day exhibitions are also held at the castle - the Castle is home to several exhibitions, including "The Queen" by light artist Chris Levine and holographer Rob Munday, which features, "Equanimity", a world-renowned holographic portrait of Her Majesty commissioned as part of Jersey's celebrations of its 800-year-old relationship with the monarchy.

Another one to explore is Elizabeth Castle built on a rocky islet in St Aubin's Bay, Elizabeth Castle has defended Jersey for more than 300 years. We didn't have time to visit, but it was intriguing as we sat on the beach to see the amphibious ferry taking visitors to the castle.

Moving forward a few hundred years we visited the war tunnels. You did get the impression that the Jersey folk felt very let down and more or less abandoned during the Second World War.

Invaded in June 1940, the Channel Islands were the only British territories to be occupied by the Germans during World War Two. Hitler considered the Channel a landing stage for the invasion of mainland France, but Winston Churchill thought the islands had no importance and left them undefended.

The tunnels serve as a permanent reminder of the German occupation.

Formerly known as Höhlgangsanlage 8 (Ho8), the tunnel complex is dug deep into the hillside and was a partially completed underground hospital complex in St. Lawrence, Jersey.

Over 1km of tunnels were built, taking nearly three and a half years to build, with the work being carried out by forced and slave labourers who were brought to the Island from all over Europe.

Wandering through the tunnels, you discover how difficult life was for those on the island, whether they were Jersey, British or German.

Jersey has it all from beautiful sandy beaches, packed full of history with delightful restaurants and accommodation.

It is quintessentially English and looks very old England everywhere you go.