Hey, what’s up?

February has been an incredibly busy month—I’ve been off gallivanting (Learnt this word when writing this blog, quite fancy ain’t it?) somewhere on every single day off. Hence, this has somehow become the ninth episode in a very short span of time. It’s been exhausting, but since I’m traveling with my parents, it’s also deeply satisfying. When I was little, they were the ones planning all our trips. Now, it’s my turn to return the favour (and maybe get a little revenge for all those early morning starts haha, JK mum/dad!).

Now, let’s get to it. In this episode, my mum and I took a day trip to Matlock Bath! Long story short, my mum arrived at my place last week, right after I sent my dad off at Heathrow. So, while waiting for our upcoming trip to Europe next week (stay tuned for another travel blog!), I figured I’d take her somewhere nice.

Matlock Bath is nestled in the Derwent Valley, with the River Derwent winding through it. The area is packed with natural attractions, from scenic walks to quirky museums. In our case, we headed straight for the Heights of Abraham, which is perched above Matlock Bath. The town itself is tiny, but just next door is Matlock, its slightly bigger and possibly more responsible sibling.

We took a train from Derby to get here, which took around 30 minutes. In the morning, the trains run as frequently as every 30 minutes, but by noon, the frequency drops to hourly—so plan accordingly, folks! Thankfully, the train wasn’t too crowded, so getting a seat wasn’t an issue. Plus, the journey itself was scenic, with plenty of beautiful views along the way. And the best part? The cable car—the main attraction here—is conveniently located right next to the train station. Talk about an easy commute!

Since we arrived a little early, I decided to take a walk around town first. We strolled past Lovers’ Walk—though I have to say, I didn’t witness any grand romantic gestures or love confessions, so I have no idea how it got its name (LOL). Then, we wandered through Derwent Gardens, which, to be honest, was just a regular garden—nice, but nothing mind-blowing. We also walked along the River Derwent, and I noticed that if you visit during summer, you can go kayaking here! So, note to self: come back when there’s a chance to paddle instead of just stroll.

By the time it was almost ten o’clock, we walked back to the train station and headed toward the cable car entrance. The place is called the Heights of Abraham. I had bought the tickets in advance to avoid queuing at the counter, but plot twist—you still have to queue because they need to print the ticket for you. So really, there’s no difference between buying online and just getting it at the counter! Oh well. The ticket costs £27 per adult, which I think is quite reasonable since there are plenty of attractions at the top, plus it includes a return trip and two cavern tours.

The cable car ride took around five minutes, with a brief pause in the middle. I actually loved the pause—it gave me the perfect opportunity to snap some photos of the River Derwent. The winter scenery was stunning! However, it was quite a windy day, so the cable car swayed a little… which my mum did not appreciate. She was already in full panic mode while I was just enjoying the view. But we made it to the top in one piece—success!

At the summit, we were greeted by a friendly staff member before heading straight to the Victoria Prospect Tower. To get to the top, we had to climb a narrow spiral staircase, with water dripping from the handrail—just to add a little extra thrill to the experience. Despite the strong wind, the view from the top was absolutely worth it!

Next, we went on one of the cavern tours. We skipped the second one because it was more of a historical tour, and I was very sure my mum would find it boring (how do I know this? Well, this was actually my second time here—I first visited with Syahmi when his girlfriend was back in Malaysia, so he needed a distraction. HAHA).

The tour we did take was the Great Masson Cavern Tour. It was all about how the cave was formed millions of years ago and how miners extracted lead from it. Honestly, it was pretty fascinating! They even had a cool audio-visual presentation at one of the checkpoints, which made it even more engaging. The tour ended at a different exit, which opened up to an even higher peak with a stunning view—totally worth the climb!

After that exhausting cavern tour, it was time for lunch. There is a restaurant up here, but my mum had already packed lunch (mums just know), so we grabbed a picnic table and ate with the most scenic backdrop. Then, of course, we had ice cream for dessert—because what’s a day out without ice cream?

Before heading back down, we made a quick stop at the souvenir shop to pick up some mementos. By then, more people had started arriving, and since I’m definitely not a people person, it was the perfect time to make our exit!

Before heading home, we made a quick detour to Nottingham! I needed to buy a small suitcase for our Europe trip next week… and somehow accidentally ended up buying a new pair of shoes as well. RIP my savings, but thankfully, payday is just around the corner!

After my unplanned shopping spree, we went to a Vietnamese restaurant recommended by a friend. It’s called Pho, and let me tell you—the Vietnamese noodle soup was chef’s kiss! Absolutely worth it. After that, we headed home since my mum was exhausted from all the walking (Nottingham is surprisingly hilly—who knew?).

Alright then, I hope you guys enjoyed reading my travel diary! See you in the next post! Hopefully, I manage to write about something else before dropping my tenth travel episode—at this rate, I might need a travel show instead of a blog!