FBM, Working with the community!

FBM, Working with the community

Why choose the FBM Holidays experience?

Because it adds up to unbeatable all-round value.

All properties are graded by Visit Wales and as an accredited agency, FBM Holidays are also graded to ensure that the service given is the best possible. Our latest grading visit in April was extremely successful and FBM Holidays achieved 95%. Some of the comments from the inspector are reproduced below with the kind permission of Vist Wales.

'This is a very professionally run office helped by a strong team spirit where all are encouraged to contribute. The professional yet very friendly manner was witnessed from arrival to departure in all staff.'

'Technology has made the operation very efficient .......Thus it is not really surprising then that FBM are in the final three of the Western Mail E-commerce award in May.'

'Marketing and customer care are also very strong in the office with the sponsoring of the Tenby Blues Festival and the staffs' care of both the owners and the holidaymakers.'

'The VW grading is used to encourage owners to upgrade and there is a definite biennial internal grading system in use to ensure that the owners maintain the expected standards and the holidaymakers obtain the expected standards.'

At FBM Holidays, everyone in the team is Welcome Host trained by accredited Visit Wales instructors - your guarantee of friendly, helpful and efficient service at all time. And by using  our unrivalled experience, expertise and local knowledge we strive to ensure that in every way your holiday or short break is as enjoyable and memorable as we can possibly make it.
Stated very simply, we care more and try harder. After all, we want you to keep coming back, year after year

Quality accommodation. Because you expect the best, we only choose the best. Every holiday property in our Coast & Country Collection is independently owned and in order to be included has had to satisfy all the requirements of our painstaking selection process.

Affordable. FBM Holidays cater for every taste and budget. Properties are graded from 3 to 5 stars (very good to exceptional) and range from garden flats and pine chalets to detached houses and luxury apartments, even houses in holidays villages such as Trewent Park in Freshwater East. And whatever your particular needs and preferences, very good value for money is all part of your great holiday package.

Fabulous beaches and countryside. West and south-west Wales is blessed with some of Britain's most spectacular award-winning beaches, magnificent coastal scenery and beautiful unspoilt countryside. The facts speak for themselves: Pembrokeshire is Britain's only coastal national park, Carmarthenshire is known as the garden of Wales, Ceredigion/Cardigan Bay's Heritage Coast embraces such popular resorts as New Quay and Aberystwyth, and the Gower Peninsula was Britain's first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

So much to see and do. The FBM Holidays region has something for everyone. Family parks and attractions. Mighty medieval castles. Breathtaking watersports and activities. Restaurants, pubs, clubs and entertainment. And a feast of colourful events celebrating the rich history and heritage of Wales. Check out the Preseli Mountains where legend has it the Bluestones of Stonehenge were magically transported to Stonehenge.

Perfect choice for short breaks. In spring, autumn and winter, the region loses none of its great natural appeal. The climate is often surprisingly mild - the ideal environment for getting away from it all and enjoying a breath of fresh air and a change of pace and scenery. Equally refreshing is the fact that an FBM Holidays out-of-season break can cost you less than you'd expect - particularly on a shared price-per-head basis, and even in top-of-the-range luxury accommodation!

Make a special occasion really special! Birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, celebrations...all year round, more and more people are heading west to combine a special occasion with a short break to ensure it's all the more memorable. FBM Holidays will happily accommodate you - all you need is the excuse!

It's so easy to get here. Thanks to the M4 and fast, much-improved trunk roads, plus regular National Express coach services and good rail and air links, it's now much quicker and easier to get to south-west and west Wales than it's ever been. And there's a big bonus: daily car ferry services from both Pembroke Dock and Fishguard in Pembrokeshire serve Rosslare in Ireland's County Wexford - so you can easily enjoy two historic Celtic countries in one great holiday!

At your service. Open all year round, FBM Holidays is based in Julian Street, a stone's throw from Tenby's picturesque harbour. We welcome visitors during opening hours and our dedicated team is always ready to help in any way we can - from pointing you in the direction of local attractions and activities to advising on towel hire, cot hire and other services. You can also contact us by phone (01834 844565), fax (01834 844525) or email info@fbmholidays.co.uk

Online booking and up-to-date information - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! It's all so easy with the dedicated FBM Holidays website. Just follow the links to find out more about the latest special offers, new additions to the Coast & Country Collection, attractions, activities and events, and holiday property availability.

To find the holiday property that meets all your needs, just look for these symbols when viewing individual property details.

• Parking
• Washing Machine
• Cot Supplied
• Countryside Location
• Sea/Water View
• No Smokink
• Suitable For Disable
• Towel Hire
• Pets Welcome
• Short Breaks (from 3 to 6 nights)

Other Important FBM Holidays Information

FBM Holidays go to great lengths to take care of every detail - so all you have to do is turn up and enjoy your break!

Pets and no-pets accommodation. In properties which allow pets, please note that the property owners respectfully request that you provide suitable bedding and do not allow animals on beds, sofas and other soft furnishings. Also important is the fact that during off-season periods, many properties - particularly farmhouses - are private residencies with their own live-in dogs, cats and other pets. So if you specifically require no-pets accommodation, please make this absolutely clear at the time of booking and we'll verify the position with regard to the individual property you wish to rent.

Bed linen and towels. All Coast & Country Collection properties include bed linen, and if your holiday is for two weeks or longer the linen will be changed as long as you request it at the time of booking or on your booking form. Towels and tea towels are not provided unless otherwise stated in the property details.

Towel hire (Tenby and Saundersfoot areas only). Towels can be hired in advance, but please allow at least two weeks' notice. A deposit is required and you will need to collect the towels from (and return them to) Clean-Tech in Kilgetty. For full details call 01834 813827.

Cot and highchair hire (Tenby and Saundersfoot areas only). Cots and highchairs are available direct from Holiday & Nursery Hire, Thorney Park Farmhouse, Clayford Road, Wooden, Kilgetty. For full details call 01834 812909.

Takeover times. For the majority of Coast & Country Collection properties, and unless otherwise stated, takeover time is normally 3.00pm on Saturday and our professional teams work very hard to ensure that your property is thoroughly cleaned, checked and ready for your arrival. However, please bear in mind that in the main holiday season, with so many departures and arrivals on the same day, delays can sometimes occur despite our very best efforts, and it makes sense to defer your takeover time until a little later in the day if you are able to do so. This applies particularly to properties in Tenby and Saundersfoot. Your help and understanding is much appreciated.

Tenby parking restrictions and high-season pedestrianisation scheme. The reason for Tenby's reputation and popularity as the premier seaside resort in Wales is its unique combination of charm, character and location: a small medieval walled town perched on a rocky headland and boasting three fabulous award-winning beaches, an extremely picturesque harbour, interesting shops and a wealth of nearby family attractions and activities. The streets within the town walls are narrow and compact and for several weeks of the high season are effectively closed to day-time traffic. Most street parking outside the town walls is restricted to resident and visitor permit holders, but there are four large car parks within easy walking distance of the town centre, shops and beaches, and each offers weekly parking tickets at very reasonable cost. A convenient and popular park-and-ride bus scheme also operates throughout the main summer holiday season. For information about visitor permits, contact Pembrokeshire County Council on 01437 775412, fax 01437 775008 or email kelly.morris@pembrokeshire.gov.uk

And a note about creatures of the countryside! Occasionally, FBM holidaymakers who book a property in a countryside location are surprised to find that they're sharing it with 'locals' such as spiders, ants, snails and other small creatures. Each property is thoroughly cleaned before takeover, but while we cannot guarantee that pests of this nature will stay away, we will of course act if a major problem arises.

Booking your FBM holiday. Use the online booking service now to select your Coast & Country Collection holiday property (more than 350 to choose from) and check out availability and other up-to-the-minute information including money-saving special offers. Or call the FBM Holidays hotline (9am to 5pm) on 01834 844565.

Priority bookings. Before returning home, an increasing number of FBM holidaymakers decide to book the same property for the following year - and all you have to do to secure it (subject to availability, of course) is pay the full deposit within six days of your arrival. You can do this online or through the bookings hotline. Priority bookings do not apply to short breaks.

A great seaside holiday. The region's fabulous beaches are almost without equal, no less than ten of them winning the coveted European Blue Flag Award (as did Neyland Marina). Tenby North, Tenby South, Tenby Castle, Poppit, Whitesands, Newgale, Dale, Lydstep Haven, Saundersfoot and Amroth.

A relaxing break in a wonderful environment. Pembrokeshire is Britain's only coastal National Park. With over 186 miles to explore, there is no reason not to take a long peaceful walk along the diverse ways of the Coastal Path. If you fancy a gentler stroll then why not pay a visit to some of the gardens and mills in Pembrokeshire? Colby Lodge and the Solva Woolen Mill to name but two. Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire are renowned for their wildlife, spectacular cliff scenery and protected offshore islands such as Grassholm, Skomer, Skokholm and Ramsey, all of which are home to some fascinating wildlife, amongst them, Puffins, Guillemots, Manx Shearwaters and Razorbills. Caldey Island may not have the same variety of wildlife, but it is home to the Order of Cistercians. Monks first came to the island in the 6th century and they now farm on the island and produce their own goods such as perfume, aftershave and their delicious Caldey Island chocolate. If you fancy viewing wildlife in the sea, why not take a charter and go on a seal safari or whale and dolphin/porpoise watching. Orca and Minke whales are regularly spotted in the deeper seas off the Pembrokeshire Coast but dolphins and porpoises are permanent residents of Cardigan Bay and can also be seen behind Caldey Island.

A sightseeing holiday. The region boasts many great attractions, from mighty medieval castles such as Carew, Pembroke, Manorbier to ruins like Narberth, Haverfordwest and Tenby and others such as Picton. From Cathedrals such as the awe-inspiring St David's Cathedral through Tenby's St Marys Church, (the largest parish church in Wales), to St Govan's Chapel, refuge to a long dead hermit and only approached down a steep cliff walk. (Local legend states that you will never count the same number of steps coming back up as you did going down). There are too many sights and buildings to describe here, but to whet your appetite, amongst them are: Colby Woodlands Gardens, The Botanical Gardens of Wales, Scolton Heritage Park, Bosherston Lily Ponds, Blackpool Mill, Llysyfran Country Park, The Preseli Hills, Carew Tidal Mill and of course, the 186 mile Pembrokeshire Coastal Path

An action-packed sporting or special-interest holiday. Click HERE and you'll discover no shortage of exciting challenges, from walking to watersports to coasteering to karting.

Pembrokeshire is renowned for its high-class cuisine and local produce. All across the county you can sample our very own Caldey Lobster, Welsh Black Beef, Cawl, Welsh Cheese, Sea Bass, Welsh Lamb and more. Make sure you look for the Pembroke ProduceM
Mark.

Reataurants and Eateries. Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Cardiganshire offer some of the most spetacular and award-winning restaurants and food establishments in the UK. be it the multi award winning Letterston fish and chip shop "Something's Cooking" or the terrific Mews Bistro in Tenby, you are sure to find a top notch eatery to suit both your palate and pocket when you visit the region, most of which serve locally produced food and drink.

Wine. Cwm Deri Vineyard, situated in the heart of of the Pembrokeshire countryside in Martletwy, and surrounded by the outstanding natural beauty of the National Park, is a privately owned smallholding of 25 acres which opened to the public in 1992. The 3000 vines cover several acres of the valley that stretches down to the shores of the East Cleddau tidal estuary. Liqueurs and Meads as well as fruit wines are available to taste and buy at the vineyard shop.

Cheese. Llangloffan Farmhouse Cheese has now been established for nearly 30 years and is a traditional unpasturised full fat hard cheese. It is made by hand incorporating the best of traditional methods. The cheese can best be described as having a rich yet slightly dry, almost crumbly texture that melts in the mouth. Llangloffan Farmhouse is located in Castle Morris, near Fishguard and is open from 10am, selected days, for viewing.

Chocolate. Pemberton's Chocolate Farm, located in Llanboidy, Carmathenshire, produces some of the finest chocolate in the UK. The Welsh Chocolate Farm has earned a solid reputation for exceptional chocolates, as a string of top awards testifies. Another famous chocolate producer is, as previously mentioned, Caldey Island. The monks themselves make chocolate, fudge etc for your delight. If you cannot make the journey to the island, fear not, as there is a Caldey shop in Tenby.

Flour Mills. Y Felin flourmill, one of the few working watermills in Wales, dating from the 12th Century, mills local rye, corn and wheat. This mill produces the flour for Queens Bakery in Cardigan, one of West Wales' premier bakeries.

Meat. Pembrokeshire can boast some of the best meat products in Wales and beyond. Welsh beef and Welsh lamb are world renowned and much of this comes from our neck of the woods. The farmers in the area take great pride in the husbandry of their livestock and evidence of this can be found in the local farmers' markets. Visitors to Haverfordwest Farmers' Markets can be confident they're shopping in one of the best markets in Britain. The market came joint runner-up in the National Farmers' Market of the Year 2005. Established in 1999 it was the second Farmers' Market to open in Wales and the first to receive certification and is a valuable part of the local economy.

Potatoes. Pembrokeshire potaoes are arguably one of the most famous foods to come out of Wales. Pembrokeshire potatoes are usually the first "earlies" of the mainland and with their thin delicate skin and delicious taste, they can be used in any meal from salads to roast dinners. Due to their extreme popularity, virtually every greengrocer, market and even supermarket in the area will have Pembrokeshire spuds on sale.

So why settle for just one kind of holiday? Book now with FBM Holidays and you can have it all!