http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28534 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/28534 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/23248
Best of all, there are lots of little rock-pools between the boulders with crabs, anemones, little shrimp-things etc. And the flat boulders provide the perfect standing platform to watch them all.

The whole place was totally deserted on a warm Saturday in June - a hidden gem!

Once you head back to Herne Bay, Ernie's Plaice does excellent fish and chips (eat on sea-front) or you can have a classic Knickerbocker Glory sat in one of the kitschy red booths at KC's Ice cream parlour. Their chocolate-orange ice cream is especially nice.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/23248 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22186
It is mainly a windsurfing place but they also run yoga courses which are really good, and also cheap - about £400 for a week half-board, including the yoga but excluding flights and drinks. It's a three star place but clean and with nice airy chalets dotted around the grounds, and a beach-front bar. Food is good and plentiful.

The yoga sessions (when I went a few years ago) are held for 1.5 hours every morning and evening in a shady room just off the beach. Mats and other cushions are provided and you can hear the sea as you practise.

The teachers change every couple of weeks so aim to go at a time when a teacher who interests you is going. The one just before I arrived was very meditation/breathing focused apparently (which wouldn't have suited me) but my teacher was fantastic - very position-focused and good at explaining what you were trying to achieve, so you're actively in the pose and not just standing there with your arms out. So make sure you check out which teacher will be there when you want to attend.

I was travelling alone and really enjoyed the social aspect. The yoga class was very small when I stayed (off-peak) and we always went into breakfast or dinner together after class, and met in the bar later. When I was there they let you bring your own booze for the week and store it in the windsurfing bar so you could drink more cheaply too!

I also did their trip up Mount Sinai to watch dawn at the top, and that was a very spiritual experience which fitted in brilliantly with the yoga ethos. It was about £35. They also had a lady doing massages a couple of days.

The windsurfing/yoga resort is part of a larger place which Egyptians use at weekends, so it got much busier and less 'Western' then, which was an interesting thing to be a part of - we got chatting to some young people from Cairo and played cards with them, which was a great night.

Bring lots of books as there isn't a huge amount to do between yoga sessions. You can snorkel (they lend you equipment) or try windsurfing, but it is often quite windy (there's a reason why it's wind-surfing centre) so I mostly read on sun-lounger behind a wind-break.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22186 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22150 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22150 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22149 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22149 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22148 * two king-sized bedrooms (very unusual in my experience) so perfect for two couples going away together
* Amazing old building, 17th century with wood fires and even some original furniture. Felt like a real treat to stay there.
* Location - Eskdale seems to be a bit off the beaten path but you're really near all the big peaks (Scafell, Bowfell, etc) and L'al Ratty (toy steam train) goes through the village too]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22148 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19971 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19971 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19970 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19970 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19969 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19969 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19968 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19968 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19967 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19967 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19966 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19966 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19965 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19965 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19964
The dorms are basic, but there's a fantastic open-sided dining room/common area with the sea lapping against the supports. The food is good and plentiful, and the price is really good value (50 ringgit per night, full board). Make sure you book in advance though, and tell them that you want to dive at Sipadan, as there are only limited spots on the trip each day and people had to wait a few days if they had just turned up.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19964