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Take a walk on the wild side of the Isle of Wight

Fly across the Solent by hovercraft to discover Seaview Wildlife Encounter, the island’s most beautiful wildlife park

Saturday 11 September 2010 00:00 BST
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Staycations are all the rage at the moment, and there’s no lovelier homegrown place to visit than the Isle of Wight, the seaside and sailing capital of the south coast. The quickest and easiest way to get there is with Hovertravel, because they operate the fastest Isle of Wight foot passenger service across the Solent.

You fly across the Solent by hovercraft, arriving on the shore at Southsea in Portsmouth or Ryde on the Isle of Wight, where it’s a short distance to public transport connections, including the Greyhound coach services from London. You can even cross the Solent at low tide by riding the sandbanks – no need for piers or pontoons, as you’re whisked straight from beach to beach. And if you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, don’t be, because a shorter route means fewer CO2 emissions. Cars aren’t allowed on the hovercraft to reduce pollution on the island, and bicycles travel for free, so it’s easy to walk or cycle along the seafront from Ryde to Seaview Wildlife Encounter.

Hovertravel offers passengers the best all-inclusive travel and attraction deals with its Isle of Wight partners, including Seaview Wildlife Encounter

Enjoy the beautiful coastal walk from the Hovertravel terminal to Seaview Wildlife Encounter, before strolling among the birds and animals on a one-to-one wildlife adventure.

MAGICAL WILDLIFE

Top of your list of must-see attractions should be Seaview Wildlife Encounter ( seaviewwildlife.com ), the Isle of Wight’s largest, multi-awardwinning wildlife park. Set in stunning parkland, with waterfalls, lakes and sea views, this attraction gives you the chance to walk among rare birds and animals, including penguins, parrots and wallabies. Open from spring until October every year, Seaview Wildlife Encounter has something for everyone.

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