By Holly Speed

There comes a time in a woman’s life when that big question gets popped. You know, that really important question from the one person who means the absolute world to you – “will you… be my bridesmaid”!?

The pressure is on to plan the most amazing bachelorette weekend possible for your best friend to show her how much she means to you and all her friends.

With so many great cities in the United Kingdom to visit, we’ve narrowed it down to two of the best.  Now all you need to decide is whether to make it a Bath hen weekend or a Cardiff hen weekend!

Activities

Bath and Cardiff have a lot to offer when it comes to bachelorette party activities with something to suit every energy level and budget.

Of course, there’s Bath Thermae Spa, one of the best day spas in the country with steam rooms, whirl pools, foot baths and the piece de resistance, a heated rooftop pool with beautiful views over the spires of Bath.

For something a little more energetic, why not head to West Country Games, situated just outside Bristol, for a crazy day out in the countryside? With nine West Country themed games on offer, you can try your hand at their Cider Run, Wipeout and Pitch Fork Duel. Guaranteed to have you all crying with laughter, this is a great choice for those looking to blow the cobwebs away and perfect for any Bath hen weekend.

There’s also a sister site over in Cardiff which offers a similar day out served up as Welsh Games! All with a Welsh theme, there’s a hilarious sheep rodeo, the chance to ride the pit pony and some merciless firing of tennis balls at Charlotte Church and Tom Jones! With your own activity instructor to keep energy levels up and free photos thrown it to reminisce over, this makes for a great all rounder for Cardiff activities.

Both Bath and Cardiff have some great water-based activities to take advantage of too.

In Cardiff you can go white water rafting right in the heart of the city! Best known for their rafting and indoor surfing experiences, the company based in Cardiff Bay also runs trips further afield to spots where you can go river kayaking and gorge walking.

For a more sedate option, why not hire a boat in Bath to take you on a Booze Cruise down the River Avon!? You can commandeer your own vessel complete with crew, a fully licensed bar and sound system ready to play your selection of tunes. The perfect way to kick off the evening’s activities!

Night Out

As a capital city, Cardiff has plenty to offer on a night out. With a tonne of live music venues and lots of venues that are welcoming to large groups, this ticks all the boxes for your bachelorette planning!

Try out the cocktail bars in Cardiff Bay on the Friday night for a slightly quieter evening that gives you the chance to catch up with everyone and save crazy St Marys Street for the Saturday night. With more bars and clubs than you can shake a stick at, this street is absolutely buzzing at the weekends, so why not kick off the night with a bar crawl!? Don’t miss out the likes of Be At One cocktail bar, Missoula and Peppermint Bar.

Just around the corner are a couple of gems, head to the Revolution de Cuba for some fun conga-ing around the room with some of this rum bar’s own maracas, or dip off to the Live Lounge to catch the city’s best live music. Both are big enough to fit the group in comfortably and small enough to keep the atmosphere friendly and chatty.

Finish off the night back on St Mary’s Street with 90’s-tastic Popworld or, for a mixture of all the best cheesy and chart tunes, Tiger Tiger is always a winner!

For a great night out in Bath, stick to the underground bars. By that we don’t mean grimy joints with a secret knock, but literally underground, classy cocktail bars set in cellars beneath historic Bath.

Opium Bar, tucked away beneath Pulteney Bridge is a shabby-chic cocktail bar that is infamous amongst the locals. Sub 13 is another subterranean joint serving delicious cocktails and it even has its very own champagne lounge!

If your night starts a little earlier, head to the roof of Hall & Woodhouse to soak up last of the sunshine then pop around the corner to the Bath Canary Gin Bar for largest selection of gins you’ve ever clapped eyes on!

Club XL is a great shout to end the night being Bath’s biggest club and a guaranteed serving of all the biggest tunes to keep you and the girls on your feet until the early hours!

Transport

Both destinations are easy to reach by road being situated just off the M4 and not far off the M5. They also have train stations situated in their respective centres making them a doddle to get to from almost anywhere in the country!