Orlando and the Keys

My family and I have visited Florida on several occasions, but always just to Orlando. This trip we decided that we would have a week in Orlando and then travel down to the Keys - it was time we saw more of the Sunshine State! We travelled out with Virgin Atlantic and were met at Orlando Airport by the taxi company I had prebooked our transfer with - much easier than getting a cab on arrival and we weren't having a car until our second week.

Our hotel the Wyndham was well located on International Drive and offered free shuttle buses to Sea World, Universal and Wet and Wild. You could also get buses to Disney but these had to be paid for. The Wyndham is a large hotel spread widely over a major area so it can take a little while to get yourself oriented. It has 3 swimming pools. a pool table, table tennis, 2 restaurants and a bar. There are numerous restaurants and shops nearby up and down International Drive with 2 big shopping malls Festival Bay and and the Prime Outlet. The easiest way to get to these if you don't have a car is on the trolley bus which goes up and down the drive from the Malls to Sea World and is $1.25 for a single fare. You can buy anything from 1 to 14 days passes if you are likely to use the trolley a lot which will save you a fair amount.

As well as the parks there are many other attractions in Orlando, we love the pitch and put golf courses Pirates Cove and Congo River which are great fun. We, well Josh my son and I experienced the Slingshot Ride on International Drive, this is great if you are not afraid of heights as you are shot very high into the air and they record it all for you to watch again and again !

Park wise we did not do Disney as we have been so many times before, but being big fans of roller coasters we could not miss out going to Univeral Islands of Adventure and Busch Gardens - we bought the 5 days flexi pass before we left as this is the best value - it gives you unlimited access into both Uinversal Parks, Sea World, Wet and Wild and Busch Gardens and if you don't have a car you get a free bus to Bush you just book it when you are there for the day you want to go.

For our second week I had booked us into the Mariners club in Key Largo - on arrival we found that they had no reservation for us and we were put in the Key Largo Grande which I was not keen on but I think it has been renovated since we were there. We did eventually get into the Mariners Club and were given a better room due to our inconvenience. It was fantastic a huge apartment with all mod cons ! This is a great place for families as you can self cater here - eating out is more expensive in the Keys than Orlando. There is plenty to do too. We took a trip down the Key West for the day taking their trolley tour on which you could get on and off as many times as you liked. The drive down is spectacular and not to be missed.

Josh and Brian my husband took the opportunity to swim with Dolphins in Key Largo there are a couple of places you can do this. They did it a Dolphins Plus - they offer different types of swim. Brian and Josh did the Natural Swim where you go in a small pool with only a few other people (there were 4 in their group) and you get to interact with the Dolphins only if they want to. Of course they generally do and they had a great time for almost an hour. I got the impression this is less commercial than Discovery Cove and more intimate for the swimmers.

We also took the opportunity of taking a kayak trip - this was an organised trip of which there are many where a guide took us through various waterways - a must for nature lovers !!

I have to say I love Florida and could spend much more time there if I could - it definately makes me feel sunny !!

Jo