Our dogs have 36,000 Insta followers, we took them on essentially the most pooch-friendly journey making an attempt a journey lounge only for pets

STRUGGLING to depart your pet behind when happening a visit? Then don’t. Take them alongside.

I’m not speaking a few pet python or a bearded dragon however when you’ve got dogs who love to discover lovely locations, Northern Ireland is ready for you with open arms.

We packed the automotive with all the pieces we may wish for an extended weekend away. I’d like to say the solar was shining as we boarded our ferry, however it was dry, not less than, and we had easy crusing.

Stena Line has an unique new pet lounge onboard the Cairnryan to Belfast boat. Or, if crusing from Liverpool, you may e book a cabin for as much as two pets.

You may select to go away your canine or cat within the automotive for the two-hour crossing however that wasn’t for Lucas and Perla, our pair of Italian Greyhounds, who’re extra like well-behaved youngsters than dogs.

With 36,000 Instagram followers and a wardrobe to rival the Kardashians, catering for his or her wants and necessities when heading away for a number of nights is paramount.

Arriving on time and desirous to discover we drove straight to Hillsborough Forest for a beautiful late morning canine walk.

Pooches suitably exercised, we selected lunch at The Parsons Nose in Royal Hillsborough, and we weren’t ruffing it, this was my favorite meal of our journey.

Dining together with your canine is permitted within the bar or backyard space and the solar got here out to greet us of their charming outdoors area.

We’d introduced the pups’ favorite blanket in order that they sat fortunately within the solar whereas the type employees topped up their bowl with water and ice. A good contact certainly.

My companion, Johnny, opted for the wood-fired sourdough flatbread adopted by the Roast Gressingham Duck which he stated was very spectacular.

I needed to strive the St Tola Goat’s Curd with heritage beetroots, after which a flatiron steak served with greens, onion rings, pepper sauce and hand reduce chips. It appeared and tasted scrumptious and our plates had been scraped clear.

After lunch we ventured into Belfast to search out our lodge. We had been staying on the trendy Bullitt Hotel and our pet-friendly room, or Dog Den, was pawfect.

With sound-proofed home windows to dam out town’s bustle under, our double room with outrageously cozy mattress supplied fabulous options like a refreshing walk-in rain bathe, an enormous canine mattress, canine bowls, super-fast wifi, an enormous telly and fridge.

Breakfast the subsequent morning was excellent. I woofed down the Full Bullitt Breakfast of sausages, bacon, black pudding, eggs and mushrooms, whereas Johnny went for the Salt Beef Brisket with fried egg, fries and pickles.

With full tummies, it was time to discover and first up was a Belfast bus tour — one thing we’d lengthy needed to do.
With a lot political historical past in Belfast we had been eager to be taught extra and see the murals and landmarks ourselves.

The massively informative City Sightseeing Tour took simply over an hour and all on the open-top bus left with much more data of this as soon as troubled metropolis.

It was clear to see that instances have dramatically modified for the higher and Belfast is now a really pleasant and welcoming metropolis. Time now for walkies, and our Maritime Mile walking tour was a good way to spend the remainder of the morning taking within the spectacular Titanic Quarter and museum building whereas selecting up attention-grabbing details concerning the doomed ship constructed right here.

Did you recognize some dogs survived the Titanic sinking? That made us smile.

Dinner that night was on the AC by Marriott Belfast, and sure, it’s canine pleasant too! Rain dampened plans to dine on the terrace overlooking the Titanic Quarter, so, as a substitute we ate within the trendy bar space of celebrated chef Jean Christophe Novelli’s restaurant. I began with a Ravioli Aperti Con Fungi. If you want mushrooms it’s a should.

Johnny devoured the Pear and Irish Cashel Blue Salad.
For mains we loved the confit halibut with a white bean velouté, and roasted candy potatoes and the dry-aged ribeye with all of the trimmings.

Before leaving Belfast for the coast we visited town’s lovely Botanic Gardens for a soothing stroll. Established almost 200 years in the past, each the Palm House and Tropical Ravine glass homes are common with locals and vacationers.

After two nights in town a run round for the pups off the lead at Ballycastle seaside was a lot appreciated and the drive there by means of the Northern Irish countryside was beautiful.

Our lodging for the night time was in Ballintoy at The Fullerton Arms. We stayed in a contemporary and spacious room over-looking the lodge’s backyard, an incredible place to benefit from the night solar and a chilly beer earlier than dinner.

Our meal and the service on this very canine pleasant restaurant was excellent and our seafood chowder starter was a tasty spotlight. The restaurant was full once we had been there on a Sunday night time, so be sure that to e book. After a restful night we had been up and away early to see Giant’s Causeway, a world heritage web site and common vacationer attraction.

The fashionable customer centre has a cinema, reward store and cafe. We took the 20 minute stroll all the way down to the location, however when you’re not ready there’s additionally a shuttle bus.

Formed almost 60million years old when molten rock lava cooled and contracted, the sequence of some 40,000 interlocking hexagonal columns are fairly mesmerising and the dogs beloved the ocean journey.

Not far up the highway is the well-known Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. It was a sight to behold, however — fortunately for me — dogs are usually not allowed to cross the 20 metre bridge so I waited whereas the opposite dad bravely crossed to discover the tiny island of Carrick-a-rede whereas the Atlantic smashed rocks 30 metres under.

We had sufficient time to benefit from the Northern Coastal Route again to Belfast earlier than once more having fun with a easy crossing with Stena Line.
Sailing to Ireland is a extremely beneficial different to flying, particularly with the additional advantage of having the ability to fill the automotive with canine beds and blankets.

Would we return? We’d be barking to not!