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Holiday at the Stables on the Menai Strait
THERE'S only one problem with finding the perfect holiday destination - and that's having to come home again.
So it's little surprise there were tears and tantrums when the Scott family were forced to squeeze back into our car and leave sun-kissed North Wales behind. And the children weren't too happy either.
Hopefully, my wife will get over it. But at least she can head home with golden memories of our week at The Stables. A holiday cottage conversion owned by Penrhyn Estates high up on the hills across the Menai Strait above Bangor, it boasts magnificent views all the way from Snowdonia to Anglesey and along the coast to the Great Orme.
This is, quite simply, the best holiday cottage we've ever stayed at. And, although the quality of this lavishly furnished, but still homely, property is what is memorable, it helps when it comes complete with the sun, sea, scenery and activities this corner of Wales has to offer.
We chose this place because it was close to Anglesey, a place we were keen to explore.
With children of 11, eight and three to cater for, we usually look no further than the beach. And, from Newborough Warren, past Cable Bay at Rhosneigr, to the more rocky Bull Bay, to Red Wharf Bay at Benllech, there's plenty to choose from.
The coastline is varied and exciting, with dramatic cliff top footpaths, favourite fishing spots, great sailing and windsurfing and some extraordinary bird sanctuaries.
A quick call to Surf-Lines at Llanberis (01286 879001, www.surf- lines.co.uk) can set you up for more adventurous pursuits like the increasingly popular "coasteering", which the older kids loved.
The sight of Snowdonia is the backdrop anywhere on the island, enhancing the beauty and tranquility of Anglesey - known as Môn Mam Cymru, the Mother of Wales, because of the fertile land which once provided much of the grain for Wales.
Apart from the burial chambers, hut circles and standing stones on the island, there is also Beaumaris Castle, billed as one of the region's "Big Four", complete with its old jail.
There is also the Seawatch Centre to visit in Moelfre, the Sea Zoo, Foel Farm, Bird World, Pili Palas Butterflies, The Model Village and the Museum of Childhood.
Of course, no visit to Anglesey is complete without a trip to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch - home of the longest railway station sign in the world.
Just across the Menai Strait is Bangor, with its 12th century cathedral, museum and Victorian castle at Penrhyn, in whose old estate The Stables is situated.
But just behind are the foothills of the Snowdonia National Park. And, whether you're a climber or a walker, this is a mountain paradise with comparatively easily accessible peaks and hundreds of paths of varying degrees of difficulty.
For the less energetic who still want the view, there is the famous Snowdon Mountain railway, which still sets off from the lakeside town of Llanberis and climbs almost all the 3,560ft to the top of Snowdon.
From Caernarfon, there is also the lesser known, and less costly Welsh Highland Railway, with stunning views as it snakes into the heart of the mountains.
Caernarfon Castle, perhaps the most recognisable of the "Big Four" castles, is still amazingly well preserved, but then so are Conwy and the spectacularly sited Harlech.
And Caernarfon is also the departure point for unforgettable boat trips round Anglesey run by local specialists Rib Rides.
But there is also Bodnant Gardens, the village of Beddgelert, picturesque home to the romantic legend of a Welsh prince and his faithful hound, and the amazing sight of Portmeirion, complete with its stunning views across the estuary to Cader Idris, its unique crockery, and its Italian-style fantasy dwellings and their association with cult 1960s TV series The Prisoner.
As for the Lln Peninsula, between Aberdaron and the resorts of Abersoch, Criccieth, Porthmadog and Pwllheli lie some of the loveliest beaches of North Wales.
For all the area has to offer, you need a good base and we certainly got that in the well situated place we found just outside Bangor.
The property we stayed at, part of the many run by Menai Holidays, was so new that nobody else had stayed in it before. The company has many others - all maintained by a team of housekeepers to the same remarkably high standard - and most owned by people actually living in North Wales.
The company's attention to detail is so impressive. It only took a week in the kitchen at The Stables to explain why my wife was so upset at leaving it: no kitchen window has a view like that one, which looks over Anglesey.
And the kitchen is just so big, taking up an entire mezzanine floor, complete with eight-seater oak table and every conceivable kitchen appliance.
In deciding how many mod cons and utensils Menai Holidays put in the cottages, the bosses work on the principle that customers would need everything that goes into the preparation of a Christmas dinner.
Needless to say, given how little cooking anyone wants to do on holiday, that more than covers everything.
And, of possibly even more interest to the sort of holiday makers attracted to this sort of top end of the market property is its Cottage Suppers, which involves starters, main courses and puddings driven to the door at very reasonable prices.
At about a fiver a head for main courses, it's far cheaper than going out - though there's plenty of places to eat locally.
We checked out Taste Tests at dailypost.co.uk, but decided home was best.
Menai Holidays also does a starter pack of household essentials, containing milk, bread, coffee tea etc, and of course a big lump of bara brith too, at £45.
