Island Life Magazine Ltd June/July 2015 | Page 39

FEATURE Summer events West Wight Alpacas N ew for summer at West Wight Alpacas. There are some very special Llamas that have arrived from Italy to join the trekking team for 2015. They join the Alpaca Walking Team and you are able to book walks daily with either alpacas or llamas. There are many more animals for you to see on the farm including miniature donkeys, pygmy goats and a large array of chickens and other fowl. It’s the birthing season on the farm at the moment with a number of babies already arrived, including a miniature donkey foal called Rosie and seven baby alpaca cria. Many more are expected right the way through until November so there will always be something cute and cuddly to see. The Alpaca Chatter Café, which is free to use, is becoming more popular with locals and visitors alike and with an expanding menu you should give it a try. Shanklin Seafront I f you enjoy a good old-fashioned family fun day out by the beach, then Shanklin seafront is definitely the place to be this summer. Its popular arcade features all the games and simulations you’d expect at a traditional seaside amusement arcade – but with some state-of-the-art video technology thrown in. There are exciting racing games and shooters, as well as old-fashioned grabbers and penny pushers, and an indoor gokart track and tenpin bowling. Families can also test their skills on the challenging Pirates Cove 18-hole adventure golf, or the 18-hole crazy golf, and for younger children, Jungle Jim’s indoor play area remains as popular as ever. Finally, when you’ve declared yourself the golf champ of Shanklin seafront, you can celebrate in the brand new Clubhouse Cafe, with its selection of snacks and drinks and an outdoor seating area. Alternatively, head for Toppings Ice Cream Parlour and be spoilt for choice with 28 different flavours of ice cream. Seaside days out don’t get better than this! Monkey Haven T he Monkey Haven is celebrating yet again - after receiving the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence for five years in a row, and being inducted into the travel site’s ‘Hall of Fame’. This will also be the Haven’s first summer as a fully registered UK charity and visitors are invited to join in the party by going along to meet the animals. The multi-award winning sanctuary just outside Newport, provides homes for a diverse collection of rescued primates and birds of prey, including a group of six Barbary apes all rescued from the illegal pet trade in Europe. The latest arrivals to delight visitors this year are a cute Capuchin monkey called Pepino, and three pairs of Meerkats all named after famous deserts – Sahara, Gobi, Kalahari, Karoo, Gibson and Nyiri. www.visitilife.com 39