Helen Ochyra

London

✈️ Freelance travel writer & mother of 3 ✍🏼 Words for: Times, Telegraph, Nat Geo Traveller 🌎 Focus on: British Isles, Spain, Portugal, Florida, Australia

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Articles

The 10 best water parks in the UK

2 days ago | telegraph.co.uk | Sophie Dickinson |Sophie Butler |Helen Ochyra |Chris Leadbeater

8. Alpamere, ScarboroughThe ever-popular Alpamere combines rides with relaxation. Four slides - the twisting Snowstorm, frightening Black Run, double-tube Olympic Run and thrilling Cresta Run - will keep the family entertained for hours. As will the wave pool, which erupts every 30 minutes. But if all that gets too much, the infinity pool, looking out of the bay, is a breathtaking place to swim. 9. Thorpe Lakes, SurreyHeading for Thorpe Park?
The UK's best days out for dinosaur-obsessed kids

4 weeks ago | telegraph.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

From roaring animatronic T-Rex to hunting for 100 million-year-old beach fossils - here's where to find the UK's top dinosaur attractions What is it about dinosaurs? In our very earliest years, we get familiar with these prehistoric reptiles and I'd be willing to wager that more UK pre-schoolers can identify a T-Rex than even a ladybird or caterpillar.
The family-friendly alternative to the Canaries that's less crowded and closer to Britain

Mar 4, 2025 | telegraph.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

Our writer finds out why Madeira, the island of eternal spring, is perfect for a winter-sun breakIt was the teeny hand clasping mine first. Then the legs, flung across my lap with blasé haphazardness. Finally, it was the squeal, directly into my eardrum and not quite carried away by the Atlantic wind. My daughter, fizzing with excitement, had wiggled herself right into pole position for a close-up look at the pod of pilot whales that followed our Rota dos Cetáceos rib boat.
The Canary Islands, ranked and rated

Dec 5, 2024 | telegraph.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

The main reason the Canary Islands are such a popular holiday destination is obvious: the weather. This Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic offers blue skies and warm temperatures year-round, plus plenty of beaches for soaking up the sunshine.
12 of the best Bonfire Night displays in the UK

Oct 2, 2024 | telegraph.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

Leeds Castle in Kent will be illuminated by fireworks on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November Alamy Remember, remember, the 5th of November… a night for rugging up against the chill, heading out after dark and celebrating what truly feels like the start of winter, with roaring fires and rousing fireworks displays. What we in Britain now call Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, commemorates something far darker. November 5 marks the anniversary of the foiled Gunpowder Plot of 1605, when a band of...
The best family walking holidays in the UK and Europe

May 22, 2024 | telegraph.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

Walkers cross Ewenny River at Ogmore Castle, Wales Credit: Alamy What do your kids want to do on holiday? If they’re anything like mine, their idea of a good time will be far more about romping around in the fresh air than it will be laying outstretched on a sun lounger.
18 of the best all-inclusive hotels in Ibiza

May 22, 2024 | thetimes.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

Ibiza may be best known for its party-all-night reputation, but there’s far more to this sun-soaked Balearic island than just beach parties and megaclubs. In its quieter corners you’ll find secluded coves and pristine beaches, just made for laidback afternoons of simply staring out to sea, while Ibiza’s hinterland is home to ancient villages huddled around white-washed church bell towers.
21 of the best family hotels in Mallorca

May 14, 2024 | thetimes.co.uk | Helen Ochyra |Antonia Windsor |James Litson

Mallorca is a people-pleaser. This is an island with it all: from rugged coasts to towering mountains by way of long sandy beaches with stacks of facilities or teeny coves bearing barely a footprint. You can easily escape the crowds here by diving down lonely lanes, exploring the many miles of countryside footpaths or walking that little bit further to a beach that only the locals know. Or join the throngs in beach resorts packed with theme parks, slides and splash parks.
12 of the best golf and spa hotels in the UK

May 2, 2024 | thetimes.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

Every golfer knows that the UK is one of the world’s leading destinations for a golfing holiday. Not only are some of the most renowned and respected golf courses on the planet found here in Britain, but the country is also home to some of the finest golf-focused hotels.
15 of the coolest hotels in the Canaries

Apr 30, 2024 | thetimes.co.uk | Helen Ochyra

Despite what recent protests might have led you to believe, the Canary Islands are not covered in sprawling resorts and megahotels. This Atlantic archipelago is home to many secluded stretches of coast, soporific villages and an increasingly chic hotel scene, and places to stay that have a lower environmental impact than the bigger mass tourism resorts. Explore the quieter, more authentic side of the islands with this guide to the best places to stay.