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Afternoon Tea at Bath’s Royal Crescent Hotel

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When visiting Bath, you don’t have to go far to find a restaurant or cafe that serves afternoon tea. As someone who loves indulging in this quintessential British pastime, I’ve wanted to visit The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath for ages – specifically to try out their afternoon tea.

Instead of drooling over their pictures on Instagram, thanks to a rather lovely birthday gift, I finally managed to experience afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent for myself last month. Although afternoon tea lovers have plenty of options in the city, The Royal Crescent Hotel’s afternoon tea offerings frequently tops the list of best places in Bath to enjoy this teatime treat.

Part of the appeal of afternoon tea at the hotel is its location on Royal Crescent. The street comprises of a row of elegant Georgian townhouses, and is quite possibly the best location in Bath. The Royal Crescent Hotel itself is a five-star luxury hotel, encompassing two townhouses, a pretty garden and further buildings to the rear, including the Dower House Restaurant, where we were to have our afternoon tea. Weather permitting, you can also have afternoon tea in the hotel’s pretty garden. Unfortunately, April showers and what not, meant we had to dine inside. But it wasn’t exactly a hardship as the restaurant is lovely.

The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa
Royal Crescent, Bath

Afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel is the ultimate indulgence. We couldn’t wait to feast on delicate finger sandwiches, pretty little cakes and delicious scones. We opted for the Authentic Royal Crescent Afternoon Tea, which is the hotel’s take on a classic traditional afternoon tea. If you have more of a savoury palate, The Royal Crescent Afternoon Tea is an available alternative. There’s also a vegetarian option too.

All of the three different afternoon teas are complimented by a fantastic selection of world teas. Freshly ground coffee and even hot chocolate is available, if you prefer. Or if you fancy pushing the boat out, a flute of champagne is definitely a good way to make the occasion really sparkle.

The first thing that struck me about The Royal Crescent Hotel’s afternoon tea was the presentation. Aesthetically, it is one of the prettiest afternoon teas I’ve had the delight to tuck in to. And fortunately, the food tasted as good as it looked. The pastries and cakes were exquisite – it was hard to choose a favourite. The freshly baked scones (with clotted cream and strawberry preserve) were moist, crumbly and delicious. It was also the first time I had ever tasted a Bath bun – but hopefully not the last.

I have a sweet tooth, so I’m usually drawn to the cakes and pastries. However, the cute little finger sandwiches were just as yummy. The bread was perfect and the fillings tasty and generous. My favourite was probably the corn-fed chicken, basil and lemon hummus, closely followed by the roast beef with horseradish mayonnaise and watercress.

It’s fair to say that I’ve had a lot of afternoon teas, and up until my visit to The Royal Crescent Hotel, nothing compared to the afternoon tea I enjoyed at The Shard in London. However, I’m pleased to say that this one was just as good. So if you’re in Bath and you feel like indulge in this quintessential British pastime, I highly recommend The Royal Crescent Hotel. Admittedly, at £37.50 a head it’s not the cheapest. But it’s beyond scrumptious and in my opinion worth every penny, particularly if you’re celebrating a special occasion.

Head to their website to find out more about afternoon tea at The Royal Crescent Hotel.

Travel Stories: Roadtripping Western Australia’s Coral Coast

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Road trips aren’t measured by mile markers, but by moments. I read that somewhere and it has stuck with me. I think that’s one of the things I love most about road trips. The best part of the adventure is not necessarily the end destination, but the experiences you have and the things you see along the way. For me, that’s what makes a road trip so memorable and fun.

Whether it’s completely spontaneous or well planned, the idea of taking off in my car has always appealed to me. There’s nothing quite like the freedom of the open road. And although I’m quite comfortable with my own company, I think the best kind of road trips involve good company. With long conversations, laughter, spontaneous detours, pit stops, music and even the occasional sing-a-long.

Taking time out to admire a beautiful sunset
Photo copyright Kate Anderson


So it was a dream come true for me when I had the opportunity to explore a bit of Western Australia’s Coral Coast during a week long road trip from Perth to Monkey Mia. Heading north of Perth as we did, meant travelling along the scenic Indian Ocean Drive for a large part of the journey. FYI: Indian Ocean Drive begins in Lancelin and ends in Geraldton. It’s certainly a much more pleasant experience than driving inland on Brand Highway.

If you’ve never visited Western Australia before, one thing you need to know is that it is huge. HUGE. It is the largest state in the country, geographically speaking and covers more than 2.6 million square kms. In fact, if Western Australia was separate from the rest of Australia, it would be the 10th largest in the world. So exploring the state means covering a lot of miles – and that takes time, especially when you’re travelling by car. It’s just over 900 km from Perth to Monkey Mia, so we decided to split the journey. And Kalbarri was our first major stop.

Perth to Kalbarri

It took about eight or nine hours to drive from Perth to Kalbarri, including quite a few pit stops along the way. Our accommodation for two nights was the Kalbarri Edge Resort. The hotel was a great base to explore the charming seaside town and the main attraction, Kalbarri National Park. After settling in for the night, we made sure to wake up early the next day so we could head over to the foreshore to watch the pelican feeding. You’ll need to be there for 8.45 in the morning, if you want to watch local volunteers feed these beautiful wild birds. Better still, gets hands on and feed the pelicans yourself. It’s a really fun thing to do, whatever your age. Interestingly, the pelican feeding has been taking place along the foreshore for 40 years.

Pelican feeding time at Kalbarri foreshore
Photo copyright Tse Yin Chang


With one full day of adventure ahead of us, we made our way to Kalbarri National Park. Having seen plenty of photographs of the national park showcasing its natural beauty, I was beyond excited to explore this extraordinary place. As much as I loved the pelican feeding experience, this was the main highlight of Kalbarri for me. From the inland river gorges to the coastal cliffs, Kalbarri National Park is breathtaking, in every sense of the word. The park is huge – and I mean huge. It covers around 186,000 hectares, so we had to be a bit selective about the areas we wanted to explore. It’s not free to enter, but at just $13 (for a vehicle of up to 12 passengers) it’s well worth the entry fee.

First stop on our itinerary was Nature’s Window. So we headed inland to check out this amazing natural rock arch, which is formed from layers of Tumblagooda Sandstone. It’s an extremely popular spot for tourists and probably the park’s top attraction, enjoying incredible views of the Murchison River below. If you’re into hiking, I highly recommend walking the Z Bend Gorge river trail. It’s not the longest hike at just 2.6 km, but the terrain is challenging and demanding in parts. The trail includes loose rocks with steep descents and ladder climbs. But it is well worth the effort, just to take in the views from the bottom of the gorge.

The rugged seascape of Kalbarri National Park
Photo copyright Kate Anderson

Kalbarri National Park isn’t just beloved for its 400 million year old rock formations and river gorges. The contrasting landscape of its rugged coastal sandstone cliffs is equally beautiful and breathtaking. Most of the coastal sites are accessible by car, caravan or motorhome. Island Rock and Natural Bridge, Red Bluff, Pot Alley and Eagle Gorge all offer spectacular vantage points.

Kalbarri to Shark Bay

We left Kalbarri and headed for Denham and Shark Bay, which was to be our next base for the night. It’s a four hour direct drive, but along the way we detoured to check out a few of the sights along the World Heritage Drive, including Shell Beach and the Hamelin Pool stromatolites. Located in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Shark Bay, Shell Beach is a photogenic snow-white beach made up of billions of teeny tiny shells. The beach – which incidentally, has no sand – stretches for more than 70 km. Walking on Shell Beach is a truly unique experience, because it’s one of only a handful of similar beaches in the world.

Shell Beach is in the Shark Bay Heritage area of Western Australia
Photo copyright Tse Yin Chang


Shark Bay is also home to the Hamelin Pool stromatolites, living fossils which date back some 3.7 billion years. They are the oldest and largest living fossils in the world, and one of only four places where living marine stromatolites exist on the planet. Which makes them pretty special. Take a stroll along the purpose-built jetty and marvel at this natural wonder that provides a window into the origins of life and what the earth was like 3.7 billion years ago.

After several stop offs, we finally made it to Denham and Shark Bay and our home for the night, On the Deck @ Shark Bay. The location of this b&b is excellent and the accommodation was amazing, especially the decked area with a hot tub, where we sat and drank and watched the night sky in awe. Unfortunately, we were only there for one night, and despite the adventures we had ahead of us, it was hard to leave this lovely home away from home.

Francois Peron National Park

There’s lots to see and do in the Shark Bay area, but perhaps the number one visitor attraction is Francois Peron National Park. We headed to the Shark Bay Visitor Centre and booked a personal tour guide (Shark Bay Coastal Tours) to take us into the park. The majority of the track isn’t accessible by two wheel drive vehicles: due to the deep soft sand it is only suitable for high clearance four wheel drive vehicles. Although we had a four-wheel drive, we felt more comfortable letting someone else drive. The idea of getting stuck in the deep soft red sands was not appealing. Luckily for us, our guide Keith was brilliant and very knowledgeable about the area. And we didn’t get stuck once!

The incredible colours of Francois Peron National Park

We found that hiring a local guide was the best way to experience and enjoy the park’s exclusive spots. It also gave us an opportunity to learn about the rich history of the area from a passionate local. Exploring Francois Peron National Park – which is just a 10 minute drive from Denham – was an incredible experience. During the day we ventured to Cape Peron, the most northerly tip of the park. With red cliffs, red sand, bright blue skies and beautiful turquoise water, the landscape is phenomenal. Head to Skipjack Point, which offers a great vantage point to take in the amazing views. And marvel at how clear the water is. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see manta rays, dugongs and small sharks cruising the water below.

Francois Peron National Park is pretty vast, covering over 52,000 hectares of arid shrublands and sand plains. It’s also home to some really cute little critters, like the Australian Thorny Devil. Also known as a Thorny Dragon or Mountain Devil, they have a lifespan of around 20 years and can grow up to 20cm in length. Our guide Keith managed to spot one wandering along the red sandy track.

Me holding a Thorny Devil
Photo copyright Tse Yin Chang

Our Coral Coast road trip took us as far north as Monkey Mia, where we had organised an overnight stay at the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. There had already been so many wonderful moments during this trip, but getting so see the local bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat was a definite highlight for me. They visit the shores of Monkey Mia Beach up to three times a day to feed (from 7.45 in the morning to 12 noon) and you’ll have the opportunity to interact with these incredible creatures. Monkey Mia is actually one of the most reliable places for dolphin interaction, not just in Australia but the world. So the chances of you getting to see them is pretty high.

Given the fabulous location, we were really looking forward to our stay at the Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort. However, while the location is hard to beat, the accommodation when we stayed in 2015 was somewhat disappointing. Although clean (which is what’s most important!) it was dated and expensive. The one saving grace was that we had a room overlooking the beach. So not only did we enjoy a great view, but we were able to fall asleep listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean.

Waiting for the dolphins at Monkey Mia Beach
Photo copyright Kate Anderson

Back to Perth via Geraldton

The World Heritage-listed area of Shark Bay – with its gorgeous hidden bays, pristine white-sand beaches and towering limestone cliffs – stretches from Kalbarri to Carnarvon. But Monkey Mia was as far north as we were travelling on our road trip. And so, after 6 days away, it was time to head back to Perth. Rather than drive the entire 900 km in one swoop, we decided to break up the journey by stopping over in Geraldton. It was a perfect opportunity to explore a little bit of the coastal city and the area further afield.

About an hours drive from Geraldton is Pink Lake, also known as Hutt Lagoon. It’s become a hot spot for tourists and has made a name for itself as one of the Coral Coast’s most Instagrammable locations. Also worth a visit is the Heritage-listed Oakabella Homestead. Located between Geraldton and Northampton, just off North West Coastal Highway, it’s a short 30 minute drive from Geraldton. Not only is the tearoom a perfect place for a pit stop, you’ll also be visiting one of Western Australia’s most haunted houses. If you’re into ghost and ghouls and things that go bump in the night, make sure you pay the homestead a visit.

Taking in a stunning sunset in Geraldton
Photo copyright Kate Anderson

Someone wise once said that it’s all about the journey, not the destination, which for me truly sums up a great road trip. After my Coral Coast adventure, it reinforced my belief that there really is no better way to traverse this part of Western Australia. It’s certainly a lot more fun than sitting on a plane.

Travel Stories: Castle Combe England’s Prettiest Village

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Castle Combe, a quaint Wiltshire village in the South West of England, has quite the reputation to live up to. Known for its rich history and charming honey coloured Cotswold stone cottages, it is widely regarded as one of England’s prettiest villages. It’s about as quintessentially English as they come and its popularity has tourists flocking to the village all year long.

I’ve had the opportunity to visit Castle Combe on numerous occasions and I love how this medieval village remains practically untouched by modernity. You get an overwhelming sense of what it was like living in a much simpler time. In fact, if it wasn’t for the steady influx of cars, it wouldn’t be too difficult to imagine what Castle Combe would have been like back in the 18th century.

The village itself consists of just two picturesque streets framed by adorably cute stone cottages, two pubs, a church and a rather grandiose hotel, the Manor House. This five-star hotel does a rather nice afternoon tea and even has its own golf course. The idyllic Bybrook River, which runs through the village, finishes off the pretty scene perfectly. It’s the definition of picture postcard perfect.

The medieval market cross – which the village is built around and where the three principal streets of Lower Castle Combe converge – dates back to the 14th century. The village is also said to house one of the oldest working clocks in the country – the faceless 13th century clock in St Andrew’s Church.

I’ve explored Castle Combe at different times of the year and regardless of the season (or the weather!) the village is always busy. Even though local residents remain mostly invisible, you’ll always find small groups of multi-national visitors wandering around and taking photographs. Castle Combe, and the Cotswolds in general, is especially popular with Japanese tourists, who seem to adore the Britishness of pretty chocolate-box villages. Indeed, Castle Combe epitomises everything that makes rural England so charming and unique. It’s picture book prettiness is one of the main attractions for overseas tourists.

Over the years Castle Combe has become a popular location for Hollywood movies, including War House, Stardust, The Wolfman and Dr Dolittle. It’s back drop makes it the perfect film set for period dramas and this has contributed enormously to the village’s status as a must-see tourist destination.

Despite being such a hot spot for tourists, the village is no longer as bustling as it once was. The primary school, bakery, post office and village shop are all no more. Aside from the hotel and the two pubs, there’s a cafe situated off the village’s picturesque main street, but because of its tucked away location it’s quite easy to miss. If you fancy a bit of homemade cake to take away, there’s a little stall outside one of the cottages – with an honesty box for payment. I’ve tried their chocolate cake and can confirm it’s delicious.

After a leisurely stroll around the village, why not treat yourself to a cream tea at the Castle Inn or afternoon tea at the Manor House. The Old Rectory Tea Room is another option, although pre bookings are essential at this establishment.

Castle Combe will always be one of my favourite Cotswolds villages. But there are plenty of other pretty villages in Wiltshire, notably nearby Lacock and Grittleton. If you’re happy to travel a bit further afield, Bibury, Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold are all worthy of a visit.

The boring bits: things you need to know

Castle Combe can get very busy during peak season. If you’re travelling by car, unless the parking Gods are looking down on you, you’ll struggle to find a parking spot in the village centre. But fear not, there’s a free public car park at the top of the hill. Yay for free parking! But it’s a pretty steep incline, and when you’re walking back up to your car it can feel like quite the slog. Just something to bear in mind if you have difficulty walking.

To get to Castle Combe, it’s around a two-hour drive from London, between 30-40 minutes from Bristol and less than half an hour from Bath.

The best chance you have of taking tourist free photographs is during the week, and definitely not in high season. If you’re visiting in the summer months and want to avoid the steady stream of tourists, early morning or late in the evening is the best time to go.