Hen Do Ideas For Women who Love Adventure
Hen do planning is a big deal. A wedding comes with plenty of arranging and planning which can be stressful for all those involved. There is no more of a stressful position than that of the maid of honour or head bridesmaid. The wedding day is the moment the bride herself has been waiting for for her entire life, and there is no doubt that by the time they have said those long awaited words ‘I do’, plenty of Champagne has been drunk and everyone has commented on how great she looks in her beautiful dress, she will be over the moon.
The hen do is the event that can be just as tricky, if not even harder, to organise. It is where the real headache can lie for the maid of honour or bridesmaid who has been given the privilege of planning such a big and important celebration. And what happens if the bride is expecting something a bit more adventurous and outdoorsy?
That’s where we come in! At Land & Wave, we have a selection of unique and exciting outdoorsy hen do activities for you and the bride’s chosen ladies. The ideas we are going to put forward in this blog are a bit less typical ‘pyjama party with pink fluffy pillows’ and a bit more ‘Lara Croft – Tomb Raider style’! All of our activities are just a short drive from Bournemouth which is ideal if you are also looking to stay for the weekend and enjoy a girls night out on the town.
Hens in the Woods
For an excuse to dig deep and find your inner Amazon warrior, join us in Norden Woods for one of our most popular hen do activities. Once we have whisked you away from civilisation and we are tucked safely away under the cover of woodland, the group can enjoy our ‘Hens in the Woods’ package.
Start by breaking out the bows, arrows and axes and try your hands at archery and axe throwing! Once all the suppressed aggression is out in the open, there will be time to master the most important of all survival skills – fire lighting. After having fun being savages for a while, you can sit down, relax and enjoy a delicious home-baked Dorset Cream Tea served around the campfire to finish up – the perfect opportunity to let the hens cluck about how much fun they have had in the woods and who was able to throw the meanest axe.
All of the above activities are low impact and should be absolutely fine for any pregnant ladies to get involved in. We would always advise checking with a Doctor first though, just in case.
Hens on the Beach
No trip to sunny Dorset would be complete without visiting one of the stunning sandy beaches the South Coast has to offer. Our Hens on the Beach package is a perfect hen do activity you can arrange to make the most of the golden sands and picturesque views of Sandbanks, Poole. Choose which activity you want to do from Kayaking, Paddle Boarding or Giant Paddle Boarding. Our giant jumbo paddle boards are huge and can fit from 8 to 10 adults on each board!
Our brilliant activity instructors are the best in the business and they will get you kitted up in all the necessary equipment, including wetsuits before getting you out on the ocean. All you will need to bring is swimwear, a towel and shoes you can wear in the water – old trainers will do if you don’t have wetsuit booties or anything similar. Once everyone is dressed to impress in skin tight neoprene suits (don’t worry ladies, everyone is in the same boat and no judgements are made here!), you will head out onto the water to learn some skills and play some games. You will most certainly get wet and have loads of fun doing so.
Any of these water based activities make for a fantastic time with the girls, whether they have done it before or are only just trying the activity for the very first time. Obviously, they will be much more strenuous than ‘Hens in the Woods’, so any pregnant ladies out there should defiantly consult with their doctor first. Anyone who doesn’t want to take part in the activity can stay on the beach and relax where we can provide them with a comfy seat for the show. They can watch and howl with laughter from the best seat in the house at the rest of the group floundering around out at sea.
Hen Do Coasteering
Coasteering is one of the best group adventure activities to take part in on the South Coast. Coasteering with us offers a real crowd-pleasing experience which involves exploring the magnificent Jurassic Coast from a whole new perspective. From Dancing Ledge, a stones throw from Swanage, we scramble down the cliffs and into the sea, swimming through caves, scurrying over rocks and jumping from ledges. It is great fun for all and the perfect opportunity for your group of girls to bond and create great memories together.
For an extra fancy coasteering session, we also offer power boat coasteering. This involves a private power boat trip to and from the activity. The adventure will start from Swanage where you will whizz around Peveril Point, carry on past Durlston Head and Anvil Point (keep a beady eye out for the dolphins which are regularly spotted here!), before arriving at Dancing Ledge ready to literally dive in. Once everyone has been tuckered out from a great time coasteering, your private powerboat will then whisk you back to Swanage, where you can take in the sights of quaint Swanage Bay.
Need more ideas?
We think our hen do activities are unique and outdoorsy enough to entertain anyone, but if you are aiming to fit even more activities into the mass celebration, we have included some other cool hen do ideas in Dorset from other providers.
Forest Yurts
A great way to end your day having enjoyed an activity with us at Land and Wave would be spending the evening with Forest Yurts. Keep the outdoor theme going and book a fantastic, unique Glamping experience. They accommodate hen dos in their lovely, beautifully crafted Yurts equipped with bedding, towels and cooking facilities, including a BBQ. More importantly, they also include a hot shower and even a flushing loo! The location is perfect with hustle and bustle of Bournmouth only 8 miles away and Christchurch only 3 miles away. We like to think of Christchurch as Bournmouth’s calmer and classier little sister, with some lovely bars and restaurants to visit.
Paintball? That’s for testosterone filled stag parties, right? You’re wrong! Dorset Paintball in Wareham pride themselves on providing paintball sessions for everyone. With 20 different game zones and 800 acres of woodland, it is a great hen do idea. They have even developed their own ‘flak jackets’ which can be worn to take the sting out of the impact. They have pockets for stocking up on extra ammunition and smoke grenades to enable you to go full G.I Jane on your opponents!
Laser Tag
If the sound of shooting at the chatterbox in the group is appealing but you want to avoid the direct contact, pain and mess that comes with a paintball session, you could always try an alternative ‘shoot ‘em up’ style day. Dorset Adventure Sports offers a thrilling laser tag session in an outdoor woodland battle arena, just outside of Bournmouth. The aim of the game is to win by completing team objectives and eliminating all of the opposition which makes this the perfect activity for a hen party. Hits are recorded on infrared sensors positioned on your headbands which light up red when hit which means you have been hit and therefore eliminated from the game.
Time to get planning!
We hope that after reading this post it has given you plenty of inspiration and ideas to put forward and pitch to the hens. Feel free to give us a call if you would like to discuss your hen do needs with our friendly and knowledgeable office staff and book your event with ease. They are always on the other end of the phone to help you plan the ultimate pre-wedding celebration… Good luck!
