A Working Break to Jersey

My wife had been asking me to take her to Jersey so she could visit a distant relative, who she had not seen for 40 years! Naturally I saw this as an opportunity to mix business with pleasure, as I really needed to catch up with what this wonderful destination has to offer. Flying direct from Manchester, taking little over an hour, the Mayfair Hotel in St. Helier was to be our base for the next 4 nights. We hired a car to explore the Island but as the maximum speed limit is 40mph and in some cases 15mph, it does take some getting used to when, especially if you are use to spending most of your time on the UK motorway network. Fortunately if you are travelling in a group, we can arrange tours by local coach operators, so you can sit back and relax.

We visited Mont Orgueil Castle at Gory Pier, which protected Jersey for over 600 years against French Invasion. Sticking to the coastal road as much as possible so we could take in many of the scenic bays, such as Rozel and Bouley Bay, before heading inland for a trip to Durrell Wildlife Park. Afterwards, we drove back towards St. Helier stopping en-route at Samares Manor.

Next we headed out to visit the Jersey War Tunnels, a must for anyone visiting, it tells the story of the German occupation, which lasted almost five years. Walking through the actual tunnels, you really do get a taste of what life was like, hearing stories from both sides as to whether you were better evacuating, or staying. The tunnels were never finished, so you also get the opportunity to see the conditions the workers had to endure whilst creating them. Then it was off to La Mare Wine Estate for some retail relaxation purchasing some of the local produced wine and the famous Jersey Black Butter.

The sun made a late appearance, so we felt again compelled to explore more of the bays, Greve De Lecq, Plemont Bay and then dropping down towards Corbiere. No tour is complete until you have visited St Brelade, with its wide bay and not to mention some expensive looking property.

As I mentioned, we based our stay at the 3 star Mayfair Hotel, which is ideal for groups and you can be assured of a warm welcome and a short 10 minute stroll to the shops. We also visited the Merton Hotel, also in St. Helier, which is very popular with the group market.

Well, this was just a snapshot visit and there is much more to do and see. It has certainly wetted our appetite to go back and not leave it another 40 years and it is not very often that we return to the same place for our holidays!

A big thank you to the Modern Hotel Group and Visit Jersey for their assistance in making this trip so enjoyable.

Martin Slater
National Sales Manager