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attractions.
We have tried to single out a few options, for
clarity's sake, which we believe will be of interest
to all.
Boat Hire
Cruise
along the coast and learn about the history of
Bournemouth with a trip on one of the Dorset
Belle boats.
Bournemouth Eye
- Daily tethered Balloon Flights
Get a breathtaking birds eye view of Bournemouth
and take a flight in The
Bournemouth Eye - a tethered balloon which
reaches up 500 feet over the Lower Gardens.
Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
One of Britain's finest orchestras, the BSO
regularly plays concerts in Bournemouth venues.
Check out their site to see what's on.
Cinemas
Odeon
Cinema - 0870 5050007 - Map
What's
On?
Westover Road, opposite the Pavilion Theatre
Eating Out
Firstly, we encourage you to try our own restaurant
for our traditional home-cooked food and friendly
service, but should you wish to experiment, Bournemouth
has a lot to savour.
For lunch, try some proper Dorset Fare at the
Russell-Cotes
Museum and Art Gallery Café, or some
surf and turf at Hot
Rocks American themed diner on the Pier Approach.
There's Fresh seafood at the renowned West
Beach Restaurant near Bournemouth Pier and
traditional fish & chips at Harry
Ramsdens or Chez
Fred in Seamoor Road. Bistro on the Beach
(voted best bistro in Bournemouth 2002) is at
Southbourne Beach while Coasters bistro is situated
just west of Boscombe Pier.
The seafront also offers a good selection of fast
food outlets to ensure that whatever your preference
you'll never go hungry on the beach!
Here's
a few more restaurants by cuisine:
French
- Cafe Rouge - 67 Seamoor Road
Café Rouge serves French cuisine at value
for money prices. Whether you want a family meal
or a business lunch, everyone is encouraged to
come and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and friendly
service.
Mexican
- Coriander
Mexican Restaurant - 22 Richmond Hill
Coriander has been offering the 'authentic' taste
of Mexico for over twenty years. Its menu features
a delicious choice of freshly prepared Mexican
cuisine, a good vegetarian selection plus some
great cocktails, wines and beers. Children welcome
up until 7pm.
Latin - Salsa
Latin Bar & Restaurant - 82 Charminster
Road
Salsa is a relaxed fun place with a truly continental
atmosphere serving a superb variety of Latin,
American, Spanish and Italian dishes. The perfect
spot to re-live holiday memories with a sangria
and rhythms of Salsa, Merengue and Brazilian music.
Indian - The
Indian Palace - 77 Ringwood Road
Every dish at the Indian Palace is prepared to
order using only the finest fresh ingredients.
Offering an extensive menu from across India,
specialities include curried pizza, tandoori and
traditional Indian fare. Takeaway food and alcoholic
drinks available.
Greek - Romanzo
Greek Taverna - 87 Poole road
A family-run restaurant, specializing in authentic
Greek dishes and traditional home cooking. There
are many steak, fish and salad dishes to choose
from, whilst the more adventurous diner may like
to try the Meze.
Gardens
Thousands
of acres of well-tended beautiful parks and gardens
helped Bournemouth to win Britain in Bloom and
Southern England in Bloom in 2002. And
green flag awards were given to Alum Chine/Argyll
Gardens, Upper, Lower and Central Gardens, Winton
Recreation Ground, Seafield Gardens and Knyveton
Gardens. The Lower Gardens leading to the seafront
in Bournemouth has stunning bulbs and shrubs as
well as a bandstand and seating for tourists.
Alum
Chine runs up to Westbourne, the very westerly
point of Bournemouth. Its unspoiled charm and
unusual iron bridge make it an interesting walk.
At the top of the chine a walk along Alum Chine
Road will bring you out near Skerryvore where
Robert Louis Stevenson lived for three years.
The house was destroyed during the Second World
War, but the site is maintained as a memorial.
Here he wrote Kidnapped, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde.
The
New Forest, 11 miles to the east of Bournemouth,
is a mystical landscape of ancient woodlands and
wilderness heath, covering an area of 150sq miles.
Well worth an excursion.
Museums & Galleries
The
Oceanarium -
Map
From piranhas to pufferfish, crabs to turtles
the Oceanarium is home to some of the planet's
most amazing animals. Hands-on interactive exhibits,
regular talks and feeding demonstrations offer
an even deeper insight into the magical world
beneath the waves.
Russell-Coates
Art Gallery & Museum - Map
A tranquil haven on the cliff top, boasting stunning
views it is home to a fascinating collection of
art - modern and classic, curiosities and treasures
collected over many decades by Annie and Merton
Russell-Cotes. Free Entry.
Shopping
I'll warn you only once - Leave your credit
cards at home! Shopping here is fantastic and
Bournemouth offers everything from exclusive boutiques
in Westover Road to a wide range of high-street
stores in the town centre. There
are department stores and clothes and shoe shops
catering for every taste, age and wallet. And
when the shopping gets too much the town has plenty
of cafés and bars where you can grab a
bite to eat or just sit and watch the world go
by. Neighbouring Boscombe has the most antique
shops in one street outside London and is an ideal
place to browse for a bargain.
Theatres
The
Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) What's
on?
Exeter Road - 01202 456456 - Map
Pavilion Theatre
What's
on?
Westover Road - 01202
456456 - Map
Tours
Bus Tours - For an exhilarating way to see
the resort, climb aboard Yellow
Buses' famous Number 12 'Open Top' sightseeing
bus. The service operates from the end of May
to the middle of September and offers breathtaking
views of the coast from Christchurch to Sandbanks.
Yellow
Buses.
Free Guided Walks - Go along on one of the
free guided walks and discover Bournemouth's history.
All walks depart from the Visitor Information
Bureau, Westover Road, Bournemouth. The tours
concentrate on the Town Centre except Wednesdays
which explore the West Cliff. The walks cover
about 1.5 miles and take approximately 90 minutes.
Parties of 10 or more by arrangement. Organized
and promoted by Bournemouth. 0906
802 0234
Tourist Information
Online
Bournemouth
Poole
Christchurch
Dorset
Walks
Bournemouth is a walkers dream. Breathtaking
seascapes, fantastic gardens, interesting wildlife
and of course geology of world importance. Visit
Dorset's
World Heritage Site - the Jurassic coastline
and explore the beautiful landscape whilst stumbling
across fossils. It is said that if you walked
from Lyme Regis to Purbeck, you would walk through
geological time. As there are few "gaps"
it means geologists get to study an almost complete
sequence of geology, from the Triassic period,
through the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
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