I recently took my first UK trip which landed me in Belfast, Northern Island.  This was my first trip in 2013 and hopefully the start of a jammed packed year full of travel!

Having grown up with an Irish godmother I’ve always thought the Irish people to be the friendliest people in the world. From the moment we landed, the locals were more than happy to help and point us in the right direction. They did so with a big smile, a sing-a-long voice and a jig (okay so maybe the jig is a little embellished lol).

We hired a car and went on a road trip around northern Ireland. Below I’ve listed a few of the places we visited.

Mussenden Temple:

Built in 1785 as a Library, it sits atop a 120 ft cliff face with ocean views in the backdrop. There was sheep poo all around for some reason that day which made the walk there slightly harder than anticipated.

Dunluce Castle:

An impressive medieval castle perched atop another cliff with spectacular sea views.  It was however extremely misty that day and visibility was not the greatest, but still worthwhile checking out.

The Giant’s Causeway:

A Unesco heritage listed site with 40,000 interlocking basalt columns formed from volcanic eruptions which covers the Causeway Coast. A stunningly beautiful site and scenic walk to get to the causeway.

Carrick-a-Rede:               

Unfortunately this bridge was closed and we were not able to cross, but this was my favourite place of the trip, the views really highlight the natural beauty and coastline of Northern Ireland.

Titanic Museum:

A very interactive museum about one of the greatest love stories ever known (Jack & Rose), and also something about a ginormous ship too.

Chinese New Year – Irish style:
What I didn’t realise was that this weekend also coincided with Chinese New Year. Having been described as a “banana” (yellow on the outside, white on the inside) and someone not in tune with their Chinese heritage, this was certainly not helping my case! We did manage to bring the new year with some lobster noodles at a surprisingly authentic Chinese restaurant in Belfast, so all was not lost.

The great thing about flying back from Belfast is that it is considered a “domestic” flight and therefore no immigration checks necessary Woohoo!

Belfast is an underrated destination which you can explore at your own pace and enjoy the natural beauty and history.

JD