Alan Whicker Jr visits Jersey, Channel Islands

…And so to the second and final part of the Channel Islands October Tour, to the wonderful island of Jersey.

I last visited here on a trip with friends for 4 nights in September 2012. We hired (and scraped) a Ford Focus, road a bike around the island, visited the gorillas at Durrell Wildlife Park, hiked the coastlines, jumped off a sea cliff and kayaked the shore. It was an amazing trip and the island proved to be so varied, intriguing and inviting towards a return holiday. That time we had a pleasant stay at the 4* Savoy Hotel in the island’s capital, St. Helier. A very good value stay, and excellent Long Island Ice Tea, from what I can remember!

This time I travelled solo and by Condor ferry from Guernsey. There was a degree of apprehension about this as the last time I travelled with Condor was to St. Malo (via the Channel Islands) in 1999 where the sea was choppy, the ferry smelt of baked beans and stale food and I spent most of the 4.5 hour journey in the toilet. Some 15 years later, upon boarding the ferry the same smell returned, enough to make anyone nauseous. Anyhow, the short 1 hour journey between islands soon commenced and with the temperature a pleasant 18C, bar the quick purchase of a KitKat, spent this time on the outside observation deck taking in the breeze and the view.

Ferry from Guernsey to Jersey

Jersey flag and the Union Jack

Upon arrival into the port of St. Helier, and after a quick M&S meal deal (the only major supermarkets on the islands are M&S, Waitrose and the Co-op) it was time to check into my first hotel before making an onward journey to the core purpose of the first day in Jersey – watching their annual road rally. I stayed on the outskirts of St. Helier in the budget 3* hotel Hotel de Normandie (http://www.channelhotels.com/hotel-de-normandie/welcome.html). Conveniently located facing St. Clements Bay and with an upgrade to a double, the hotel boast its own swimming pool and sauna, even at the budget price of just £36 on a Saturday night including breakfast. You simply cannot argue with that.

After checking in, I made use of Jersey’s excellent Liberty bus services to head up to Durrell Wildlife Park and walk towards the Bouley Bay Hill Climb for a free spectator’s view of the Jersey Rally. Now in its 32nd year, the rally makes use of the island’s tricky and twisty road network and makes for entertaining viewing. This year there were over 80 entrants, motors including a host of Ford Escorts, Peugeot 205s, new Fiestas, Subaru Imprezas, BMWs, Vauxhall Novas, Clios, an Audi Quattro, a sole Mini, and not to mention a Talbot Lotus Sunbeam! Viewing from a number of points in the north of the island, I eventually settled on a chicane section near St. Johns village and a point at the bottom of the Bouley Bay Hill Climb (following a walk through a beautiful National Trust woodland). The sights, smell, sound, all a bonus to see during one’s holiday!

Moving back after the rally and a quick swim in the pool at the hotel, dinner that night was taken in the acclaimed Sirocco restaurant at the Royal Yacht Hotel (http://www.theroyalyacht.com/restaurants/sirocco/). Situated next to Liberation Square in St. Helier, the hotel mimics a maritime theme and is exquisitely decorated and lit on the inside. The food isn’t bad either! Visiting again as part of the Channel Islands Tennerfest promotion, which runs during October and November, I was able to dine at Sirocco at three courses for £20 including coffee and petit fours. First course comprised of Crab and Prawn Cannelloni with apple textures, caviar and pea cream. The main that followed was another seafoord affair, with pan friend black bream with salmon ravioli, pickled cabbage and fish cream sauce. Dessert was a whipped vanilla cheesecake with lemon curd, pistachio crumbs and a yoghurt sorbet. With coffee came a selection of different home made doughtnut, chilli chocolate and milk chocolate lollipops. This was an excellent meal in good surroundings showing highly the gastronomic clout this island is known for. St. Helier felt a lot busier place than I expected, even if it was a Saturday night. A reasonable scene for bars and pubs. Alas for me, an earlyish night in the hotel.

Royal Yacht Hotel, St. Helier

Gorey Harbour, as viewed from Mont Orgueil Castle

Gorey Harbour and Mont Orgueil Castle.

Following a hearty breakfast the following morning at Hotel de Normandie, it was again time to set off fairly early on the Sunday morning, to a day of much poorer weather. Sunday was a bit of a washout, but it did not dampen the ability to visit key attractions, nor did it dampen any spirits! I had intended to visit Elizabeth Castle jutting out into St. Aubins Bay by the sea ferry, but high tides prevent me from doing so. Instead, a short bus ride to one of Jersey’s main icons, Mont Orgueil Castle was in order. Jutting out from the east of the island and towering over the picturesque Gorey Harbour, the castle is one of Jersey’s oldest, built in 1204. It is now owned by the Jersey Heritage Trust.

St. Brelades Bay from hotel

After a good few hours in the castle, a return bus ride took me back to the second and final hotel of the big tour. Residing in a prominent position on my favourite bay in Jersey, the 4* St. Brelades Bay Hotel (http://www.stbreladesbayhotel.com) exudes class, an almost regal and understated elegance. Having booked early on LateRooms I was able to book a sea view room with balcony and breakfast for just £55 per night; the hotel’s rates are £196 for the same room per night ordinarily! And what a room it turned out to be, looking directly over the pristine beach, little harbour and church. No wonder Nigel Mansell chose this spot for his home.

Poolside, St. Brelades Bay Hotel

Waterside, with St. Brelades Bay Hotel in the background

Room with a view, St. Brelades Bay Hotel

Making use of the hotel’s recently built leisure facilities, including pool, gym and steam rooms, a lazy afternoon was duly in order. This was followed by the hotel’s recommended afternoon tea at a bargain £11, watered down with the best cuppa and the house ‘St. Brelades Special’ Champagne and Brandy Cocktail. All overlooking the fantastic bay. A cosy night in of the tv, bath cheese and biscuits and cava followed. Sneeky trip up the hill to the Co-op made the commodities more financially accessible!

On the Monday the weather started a lot brighter and I headed down to breakfast to be greeted by staff in tuxedos and suits, as if we were on a luxury cruise liner. The staff clearly took pride in their job and were very friendly and courteous, some I gather have worked there for an eternity. It made a refreshing and relaxing change to dine in such surroundings, not all of us want to be contemporary all the time. Fully stoked up by a full English and copious amounts of breakfast tea, I headed off for a walk along the bay, over the headland towards St. Aubin village, via Quasnie beach. Upon arrival in St Aubin, with its beautiful harbour, churches and modern boathouse restaurant, a quick seafront tea stop ensued.

St. Aubin Harbour, Jersey

Lunch on the Monday was back in St. Helier at the Michelin Star Bohemia Restaurant, part of the 5* Club Hotel and Spa. (http://www.bohemiajersey.com) Again part of the Tennerfest at just £20 for 3 courses, this represented superb value for a venue that can cost upwards of £60-£80 for a meal. Starting off with nibbles, a small pot of aubergine broth and freshly baked crusty bread, starter comprised of an artichoke foam (soup) with coffee and apple. Main course was hake with the freshest mussels I have ever had, a cream sauce and kale. A supreme dessert of pear and hazelnut torte. Service was the best in this venue, noting arrival solo, a copy of the newspaper was provided and staff were friendly and more than accommodating.

Visiting Corbiere Lighthouse

Feeling refreshed and slightly overwhelmed with the posh dining experience, I headed to the hotel to swim it off and then catch the bus to Corbiere Lighthouse for sunset, so far my favourite place ever visited. Having experienced a fantastic view as the sun went down 2 years ago, it was mandatory to return. Straddling out on a causeway from Jersey’s bracing west coast and covered routinely by some of the highest tides in the world, I had the fortune to be able to visit the lighthouse last time round and climb to the top with a very knowledgeable tour guide. This time ‘just the view’ was all that was required. As the sun went down the rays poked through the clouds, beaming directly over the lighthouse. You really feel as if you are at the end of the world and it seems captivating. All other thoughts dissipate as you marvel at the light and landscape. That turns into darkness as the natural light is replaced by the beam of the lighthouse providing an added dynamic to the photography. It really is one of the must visit locations, really, truly. Tours of the lighthouse usually take place select dates during September, but you can enjoy the view all year round.

Sunset over Corbiere Lighthouse

Jersey, always a memorable experience.

St. Brelades Bay

Room, St. Brelades Bay hotel

Following the lighthouse adventure, I returned to eat in the hotel. This time not on the Tennerfest Menu, but still a treat with a freshly caught Lobster and Prawn salad and Lemon Tart with Jersey Ice Cream.

Tuesday, as the final half day of the experience, started early to make the most of the swimming pool and to justify the smoked haddock breakfast that followed! The last must visit attraction was by bus to the Mansell Collection. A resident on the island, famed racing driver Nigel Mansell has built up his collection of trophies, racing and golf memorabilia and cars and housed them all in the purpose built museum. Accompanied by an audio guide taking you through the history, this is a must for any motoring enthusiast. We once had a tyre from one of Mansell’s race winning cars in our back garden, I wonder if it is still there?

Before returning to the hotel to collect the luggage, the final culinary experience had been booked for 12pm at the Crab Shack, St. Brelades Bay (http://jerseycrabshack.com). Right on the seafront I was treated to their Autumn Special ‘Fish Board’ consisting of very juicy battered king prawns with sweet chilli sauce, crispy battered squid with garlic mayonnaise, shellfish bisque with brandy, a fresh crab taco with tomato, avocado, chillis and red onion, salad and a bucket of crispy chips. While gorging on this delectable lunch, it offered the last chance to absorb the view of the bay during beautiful warm weather before saying goodbye to the whole experience. There was just enough time to have a cornet of real Jersey Ice cream, a short stroll along the bay for photographs and a visit into the sweet St. Brelades Church and Fisherman’s Chapel. Sadly, time to leave and return to the airport , at least with its great observation deck.

St. Brelades Church

The Mansell Collection

Flew BA last time, always the best.

Heading home on FlyMaybe, but it was on time!

On account of this trip taking in the best sights and culinary delights for a fraction of their normal price, Jersey remains an excellent destination for a short break. It still makes me wish to return again and again, and I know for a fact that many people do. It has an excellent series of beaches, historical attractions, war relics (do visit the war tunnels), viewpoints and above all, character. Clean, affluent and quite rural in places, it still achieves this with quite a bustling capital at St. Helier. The best of both worlds. I hope that if you get the chance to visit this island, just an hour on the plane from the UK, that you enjoy it as much as I do. To be further inspired by Jersey visit www.jersey.com.

Alan Whicker Jr visits the Channel Islands of Guernsey and Herm

Following on from an excellent trip to Jersey back in September 2012, where the weather was pleasant, hire car liberally used and some truly wonderful landscapes explored, I just had to return and what better way to consider a trip during the Channel Islands food and drink Tennerfest promotion (Oct-Nov). Tennerfest (www.tennerfest.com) is a set menu provided by over 130 restaurants in the Channel Islands, ranging from beach shacks to critically acclaimed Michelin Starred premises. Part of my tour explores the cuisine at such places and special tariffs for quality hotels, usually for a fraction of a price of their usual rates. Having not explored any of the other islands, I decided to start off by flying to the neighbouring island of Guernsey, hoping to include a trip to Sark or Herm and then following on to Jersey by ferry. This review looks at the first two islands.

* * * * * * * * *

Following a relatively bumpy but efficient and friendly flight from the Channel Islands’ own airline Aurigny out of East Midlands, arrival into Guernsey was both smooth and quick. The smallest airport I’ve been to but very modern and now served by the airline’s own jet aircraft that pulled in beside us from Gatwick. We made do with the propeller special, but still received complimentary soft drinks on board, free hold luggage, a copy of the Guernsey newspaper and a check in desk manned by a person instead of a machine. Very grateful. One appeal of the Channel Islands is their relatively diminutive size; I spotted my hotel from the plane prior to landing, while we were arriving there within 20 minutes despite an airport road diversion that was clearly BIG NEWS upon the island. You do get the feeling everybody is friendly but knows absolutely everything, akin to a rural village. This is for me, but if it isn’t your cup of tea, it may not be for you. The landscape will be though.

The first hotel on my tour was at the well received Hotel Jerbourg (http://www.hoteljerbourg.com) right on the southeastern tip of the island. Staying as part of an excellent value deal during the Tennerfest, this provided 3 course dinner, bed and breakfast in a sea view double room for just £45 per night. I was very impressed with this hotel, which possessed far reaching sea views from both key frontages of the hotel, reaching out towards Herm, Sark, Jersey and even the French Coast on a clear day. Also lying below the cliff face is Jerbourg Point, a peaceful and photogenic land spur lapped by waves and approachable by footpath from the hotel. I spent sunset and sunrise at this point which felt very serene despite the bracing winds evident particularly on the first day.

Hotel Jerbourg, Guernsey

Sunrise from hotel

Sunrise over the hotel and Jerbourg Point

Service at the Hotel Jerbourg was friendly and accommodating and rooms were spacious. At breakfast there are again beautiful sea views in the conservatory, while there is an outdoor pool for summer use. I could not fault the Tennerfest menu, which included fresh Sea Bream, Crab Thermidor, Coq au Vin and a selection of tasty treats from the hotel’s homemade cake trolley. On the final night I even received an upgrade to Guernsey Sea Bass with King Prawns for no extra charge.

Vazon Bay, Guernsey through the observation tower

Exploring Guernsey was very straight forward; the hotel had an hourly bus service during the day with more frequent routes a short distance away and it was located on a number of key walking routes to explore the famous south coast and Pea Stacks, as painted frequently by Renoir, or towards St. Peter Port via Fermain Bay. All buses on Guernsey are £1 irrespective of distance, so were used frequently. On the first day the trip consisted of a trip to the quaint old quarter and marina of the Island’s capital, St.Peter Port followed by a bus out to the surf friendly Vazon and Cobo Bays with lunch at the Cobo Bay Hotel, sister to the well regarded 4* Farmhouse Hotel on the island http://www.cobobayhotel.com. Their Bavarian inspired Tennerfest Menu made a refreshing change, and an enjoyable meal was had (smoked salmon rose and trout parfait followed by Ham Hock with Roast Potatoes, Saurkraut and Dark Ale Gravy).

Given the portion size of the above meal a long walk was required and what better way but to explore the rurality and quaintness of the Guernsey countryside. Using many of their green routes, which prioritise pedestrians above the private motor car, twists and turns were made through beautiful cottages, fields, woodland, nature reserves, the local reservoir and well maintained gardens. A symbol of its relatively high degree of affluence, not many houses appear empty or untidy, while the island is spotlessly clean. It was during the above walk that I passed by the Little Chapel, one of Guernsey’s more iconic attractions and one of my must do’s on the trip. First created in 1914 and made mostly out of broken china, seashells and pebbles  it is the smallest consecrated church in Europe and possibly the World with space for up to 8 people. In all it only measures 16 feet by 9 feet, but is full of little passageways and private mini chapels underneath. A rare, intricate and beautiful little gem to encounter on any holiday. Following a further extensive walk from the chapel to Fort Grey and Pleinmond headland, it was time for a pint over sunset and to head back to the hotel.

The Little Chapel, Guernsey

The second and last full day in Guernsey was very different to the first, since I escaped the island by ferry to the relative tranquillity of the car free community of Herm. With a population of just 60 but managing a primary school, pub, hotel, church, manor house and other facilities, Herm is famous for its ‘get away from it all’ atmosphere, beautiful white beaches and appeal of a quick walk around in under 2 hours. Due to constrained ferry times, this was managed in about 1hr 30 mins! Herm was absolutely fantastic, exploring the rugged coastline, turquoise water and cracking beaches; my favourite beach was Belvoir Bay in a private, intimate feeling cove and stepped access up to the footpath above. At only 20 minutes journey on the Trident Ferry from Guernsey, this was well worth the visit.

Leaving Guernsey for Herm

Fishermans Beach, Herm

Trident Ferry arrives at Herm for the return to Guernsey (Little Herm in the background)

Belvoir Bay, Herm

Upon arrival back in Guernsey by lunchtime, the remainder of the day continued on foot through St. Peter Port, passing the main castle on the seafront Castle Cornet, Havelet Bay, some exceedingly large houses in the woodlands and cliffs of Fermain and its bay. I explored all of these places, including a stop by for another Tennerfest lunch at the acclaimed 2AA Rosette 4 star Fermain Valley Hotel on the veranda overlooking the sea, eating local scallops, fish and chips and Guernsey Ice Cream for £15 3 courses (http://www.fermainvalley.com). After this, a lot of rest was required owing to sore feet but prior to a looming thunderstorm there was just enough time to spot the Pea Stacks. Jutting out over the southwestern part of Jerbourg Point they provide a picture perfect, almost stereotypical view of the island’s rugged south coast. At that point it was sadly the last full night of the trip; during the following morning I made my onward journey to Jersey by Condor Ferry.

Stationed cruise ship at Guernsey with views towards Herm and Sark

Pea Stacks, Guernsey

In all from my experience, Guernsey and Herm have a quaint, laid back and old fashioned charm that exceeded my expectations and I would be content to visit again, especially during the Tennerfest deal. Often ignored or thought of as a retreat for the very affluent or elderly, there is a lot to explore for a short retro beach or walking holiday. Cuisine and hotels are generally a very good standard and there is no apparent animosity anywhere. Views are also varied, terrific and unspoilt. Herm is a beautiful little retreat and has its own places to stay. This should be the key qualities to many a holiday so I suggest you consider giving the Channel Islands a go. Perhaps stay at the Hotel Jerbourg for their abilities to make the holiday feel that way. Please take a look at my separate review of the second part of the trip to neighbouring Jersey.