# @saradamergi on Instagram

- **Type:** Video
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DTS1t0XCMVL
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/59807199-saradamergi-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/8613908851.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-01-09T15:08:56.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Sara Damergi (@saradamergi) — https://gondola.cc/saradamergi

## Caption

Last-minute New Year staycation that turned out to be exactly right for travelling with kids.

After a change of plans, we booked the Isle of Wight on a whim and honestly forgot how easy it is. Just over an hour on the ferry from the mainland — whether you go with wightlinkferry or redfunnelferries — and it already feels like a proper break. Soft play on board was a big win straight away.

New Year’s Eve:
First stop was Shanklin (visitshanklin) for a beach sunset while the kids played, then an early Thai dinner and a cosy pub with board games. Early countdown for them, then midnight for us in bed, watching the fireworks through the window while they slept.

We stayed at thewhitelioniow — really reasonable rooms, lovely big family rooms with a roll-top bath, peaceful location, and genuinely good reviews for food. We chose it specifically because it’s a perfect base for the White Horse walk down to St Catherine’s Lighthouse, which made a brilliant New Year’s Day walk (worth knowing: it’s quite an uphill return if you’ve got younger kids).

Lunch was at tapnellfarm, home to thecowtapnellfarm — the best burgers on the island and exceptionally good for kids.

That afternoon we visited Carisbrooke Castle (englishheritage) to meet the resident rescue donkeys, then headed to Compton Bay (nationaltrust) where the kids scrambled over the rocks to find real dinosaur footprints — they got a proper hands-on history lesson from a local dino/fossil expert we met on the beach!

On our last day we went back to tapnellfarm for the adventure play. Wallaby feeding, go-kart bikes, slides, trampolines, soft play and loads of outdoor space — easily a full day out for kids of different ages. Short, easy, and far better than we expected.

We’ll definitely be back — next time for longer.

#IsleOfWight
#UKStaycation
#FamilyTravelUK
#TravelWithKids
#NewYearGetaway

## Stats

- **Views:** 1,364
- **Likes:** 67
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 6

## Tags

ukstaycation, travelwithkids, familytraveluk, newyeargetaway, isleofwight

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