Golden Swift Holidays

Hemsby

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The site of the Florida Holiday Park, Hemsby is mostly famous for its spectacular sandy beaches featuring sand dunes and an array of WWII anti-tank blocks, and tourist-focused sea front. The sea front is populated with arcades and amusements, cafes, small shops, and of course several miles of sandy beaches. Adventure golf and the mega maze also feature highly on visitors' to do lists.

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Norfolk Broads

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Stretching over 120 miles of navigable rivers and lakes, the Broads stretch from Dilham, all the way down to Beccles in Suffolk, with many boat-hire places along the banks. If boats aren't quite your thing, there are several places to appreciate the tranquillity and nature of the area without it swaying beneath you; boardwalks at Ranworth Broad, Fairhaven Water Garden, and Barton Broad offer a less muddy experience, and there are many miles of footpaths across the marshes to see the drainage mills, as well as a family-friendly RSPB reserve at Strumpshaw Fen where you might spot the odd otter.

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Great Yarmouth

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Boasting its own impressive beach, Great Yarmouth is home to a vast array of arcades, sea-front cafes and seaside attractions, including the Pleasure Beach and Joyland Children's Fun Park. There is also a sea life centre, a model village, bowling, plenty of parking and a walk further in to town away from the sea will find an array of museums, shops, pubs and restaurants. And if you need to do some food shopping on the way back, Great Yarmouth has an array of supermarkets, all with free parking (Sainsbury's only free for half an hour).

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Yarmouth is just as fantastic after dark as it is during the day; many of the arcades have superb light displays and the sea front is illuminated with colourful lamp posts, making an evening walk just that bit more sparkly. 

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Norwich

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Norwich is the most complete medieval city in the UK, and until the industrial revolution was the largest city in England after London, and as such boasts some spectacular architecture, tiny cobbled streets and an impressive cathedral. It ranks as one of the UK's top 10 shopping destinations with a mixture of well-known retailers as well as many independent ones, a thriving market place and two undercover shopping centres for when the beautiful British weather isn't quite so beautiful.

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There are a number of museums, the largest of which is Norwich Castle Museum which has recently been remodelled and frequently hosts temporary exhibitions so there is always something new to look at, or if more modern is your thing, try the Aviation Museum, or the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum. Norwich Cathedral is always worth a visit; the 11th Century boasts an exciting history including being struck by lighting and catching fire just 23 months after its completion and a complete restoration in 1660 following the civil war. 

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Once you've had enough of shopping and wandering around the charming streets, Norwich has a number of small pubs to grab a drink, or there are 23 parks to sit down and admire the hopefully blue skies. Or if a more structured garden is your thing, the Victorian Plantation Garden is open daily and contains an eclectic mix of woodland walkways, manicured flower beds, an Italian terrace and a gothic fountain.

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Cromer

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Touted by the locals as the Gem of the Norfolk Coast, Cromer is popular with ecologists, divers, royalty (King Edward VII played golf there), and holiday makers. Attractions are focused around typical seaside fare; Cromer Pier, the Pavilion Theatre, and the RNLI museum, as well as a South American themed zoo to the south which showcases animals including the jaguar and puma. Unlike a lot of other seaside towns however, it is possible to buy the famous Cromer crabs direct from the fishermen or fresh from the local shops. Dinner doesn't get much fresher than that.

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August boasts the annual carnival week, including a parade of floats and fancy dressing as well as an over-the-sea display from the Red Arrows.

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Local Walks

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If you fancy a trip out on the train, there are several walks along the Bittern Line, including a challenging, but rewarding walk from Roughton Road Station to Cromer Station along the sandy beaches, or one from Cromer Station around fantastic Felbrigg Hall (which you can totally pop in to for a cup of tea). Norfolk Council have provided a booklet with maps of walks along the rail line and points of interest; https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/out-and-about-in-norfolk/norfolk-trails/short-and-circular-walks/railway-rambles/bittern-line-walks