Many of you reading this, may have never heard of my small home country.  Northern Ireland is located above the Republic of Ireland but it actually part of the United Kingdom. It is usually forgotten about when people visit the UK or Ireland, but hopefully after reading this you will consider paying it a visit!

1. It is the home to one of the original 7 wonders of the world – Giant’s Causeway. The Giant’s Causeway, renowned for its polygonal columns of layered basalt, is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Northern Ireland. It is the result of a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago but I’d rather believe the myth:
   The story goes that the Irish giant Finn MacCool was challenged to a fight by the Scottish giant, Benandonner. Finn accepted the challenge and built the causeway across the North Channel so that the two giants could meet. Finn hides from Benandonner when he realises that his foe is much bigger than he. Finn’s wife, Oonagh, disguises Finn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle. When Benandonner sees the size of the ‘baby’, he reckons that its father, Finn, must be a giant among giants. He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Finn could not follow. 
   
   

   
2. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you will be really excited to hear that a lot of the TV show was actually shot in various places around Northern Ireland. There are many different tours that will allow you visit all the filming locations in one day.
   
   

   Dark Hedges in GOT

   

   Dark Hedges in real life
3. The mountains are pretty great to hike. There are three major mountain ranges in Northern Ireland – Glens of Antrim (County Antrim), The Sperrins (County Tyrone and Londondrry) and The Mournes (County Down). The mountains may not be the tallest, but the views are immense! Plus, it means you don’t have to be extra fit to climb them!

   

4. The Causeway Coastal route is the best for a road trip!  This is far the best example of how beautiful this country can be (when its sunny). The road is along the sea side and there are plenty of spots to park the car so you can take some amazing photographs.
   
   

   Ballintoy

   

   Carrick-a-rede rope bridge

   
5. Belfast, the capital city, is FULL of culture and history.  It is a small city comparing to the likes of Berlin and Budapest but there is still plenty to do and see. During the day you can visit the museum dedicated to the world’s most famous ship – Titanic- (which was built in Belfast), take a private black taxi tour around the whole city, soak in the beautiful scenery from Belfast castle or just go shopping. At night, there are numerous bar and clubs you can choose from. My personal favorites are Cuckoo’s and Filthy McNasty’s, they are so cute and quirky, Cuckoos even have 2 table tennis tables!
   
   

   Belfast City Hall

   

   Titanic Museum

   

   Belfast Castle

   
   When to come:

   The best time to come would be in the summer. We usually have the best weather in May for some reason. But the weather can very unpredictable so pack a rain coat and a woolly jumper no matter what time of the year you come!

   How to get here:

   We have three airports – Belfast City airport, Belfast International airport and City of Derry airport. However, I find its cheaper to fly in and out of Dublin. Dublin is a 1 1/2 hour drive from Belfast and there are regular buses going to Belfast from Dublin airport.

    

    

    

   Where to stay:

   I haven’t personally stayed in any hotels or hostels in Northern Ireland as the country is so small that you can drive everywhere from my house- which is perfect! But visit booking.com for the places to stay on any budget! 

   If you have any other questions, leave me a comment below 🙂

   Thanks for reading!
   Peace out my wanderers

   Lisa