"All The B's - Beaches, Babes, Buzzy and Busy..." Top 5 Page for this destination Bournemouth by johngayton

Bournemouth Travel Guide: 206 reviews and 440 photos

A Day at the Beach - Bournemouth
A Day at the Beach
...But Bloody Boring!

Bournemouth is the premier summer resort on the Dorset coast and is especially renowned for its seven miles of golden sanded beaches. It's reckoned that on a busy August day the various beaches attract over 100,000 people!

As to accommodation there's cheap family-orientated hotels, upmarket places, camping and pretty much something for everyone.

Outside the summer season Bournemouth is also known for its conference facilites with its International conference centre often hosting the main UK political parties' annual events.

Year round the town centre offers excellent shopping, with a good mix of National and independent stores, and an eclectic variety of restaurants, cafes and bars.

Wierd Demographics
Strolling In The Park - Bournemouth

Strolling In The Park

Bournemouth has long been considered a retirement town and certain neighbourhoods consist of mainly sheltered apartment complexes. I suppose the main attraction for retirees is the seaside location and there are also the beautifully-tended town centre parks and gardens, which are are great places to stroll. And, as a bonus, the beach promenades are all level.

On the other end of the age-scale it also has a very lively student population, attending not just the University of Bournemouth (the campus of which is actually in next-door Poole) but also foreign students at the many language schools. Thus the town has loads of nightclubs, many of them being open until 5-6 am.

This is why I find it a bit of a boring place, in as much as there isn't really anything geared up for us in the middle. The couple of half-decent pubs are OK but no-one seems to speak to anyone else and if you're sitting at a bar and say "Hi, how are you?" to whoever is next to you, you get funny looks rather than a reply! (Well this is Dorset - Or maybe it's just me!)

Pros and Cons
  • Pros:Stunning Location
  • Cons:No-one Speaks To You.
  • In a nutshell:Well, that's Dorset for You!
  • Last visit to Bournemouth: Jun 2008
  • Intro Updated Sep 1, 2009
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Reviews (26)

Frontage - Bournemouth OK But Uninspired Restaurants (6)

As Indian restaurants go this one is merely OK. The only time I ate here there was only one other table occupied and the... more travel advice

Restaurant Frontage - Bournemouth Great Location AND Good Fish 'n Chips Restaurants (6)

Harry Ramsdens doesn't claim to be the "best" fish and chips in the World but simply the "most famous". It certainly is... more travel advice

Tempting Blackboard - Bournemouth Beware Of The Dodgy Seafood! Restaurants (6)

I was actually just after something simple and greasy but the blackboard here caught my eye -I liked the sound of the... more travel advice

Fromagerie - Bournemouth A Welcome French Invasion Shopping (2)

A couple of times a year Bournemouth's town square gets invaded by the French. They come armed with the aroma of... more travel advice

Comments (4)

  • Reply
    BruceDunning's Profile Photo
    Feb 24, 2012 at 2:57 PM

    One of those days ahead, we have a trip planned to the area, if we hold out for that long. Your tips are good, and it seems strange to read of Asia foods there, but the hotels look appealing

  • Reply
    ettiewyn's Profile Photo
    Jan 3, 2012 at 12:57 AM

    Hi John, nice page about Bournemouth - I am going there during my UK trip and your page was very helpful, and gave a good impression of the place! Thank you :-)

  • Reply
    Myfanwe's Profile Photo
    Jun 18, 2010 at 3:20 AM

    Hi John, I haven't been to this neck of the woods since I was a kid, thanks for the memories. ps that pub curry looks good :-)

  • Reply
    Yaqui's Profile Photo
    Sep 16, 2009 at 10:20 AM

    Well, I would say Howdy to you! You'll find places like this all over. Although, the beaches are lovely. Too bad about the local snubs. Nice tips!

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