Heronstone Lodges - Fun Days Out

Wales Ape and Monkey Sanctuary sits between Caehopkin and Abercraf in Powys. It began as a hill farm and grew into a final home for unwanted primates, including chimpanzees, baboons, spider monkeys, capuchins and marmosets. Its first chimpanzees arrived in 1999, when seven were taken in from Penscynor Wildlife Park after it closed.

You can also see non-primates such as meerkats, wolf dogs, horses, donkeys and pigs. The animals cannot survive in the wild, so the aim is to make the rest of their lives as enjoyable as possible, and the sanctuary does not breed any of them. It is a registered charity and receives no government or council funding, so it relies on donations and entrance fees. It suits animal lovers who want to see rescued animals and support the work.

Zip World Tower is an adventure park on the site of Tower Colliery near Aberdare, which was the oldest continuously working deep-coal mine in the UK until it closed in 2008. The preserved mining structures surround the rides, so you get a good look at the history as you go.

Phoenix is the world's fastest seated zip line, reaching up to 70mph. The Tower Coaster is the only 2-seater coaster of its kind in Europe, and Tower Climber is the UK's largest adventure course of its kind. There is also Tower Flyer to try.

The Cegin Glo Bar & Bistro sits in the middle of the site, with floor-to-ceiling views of the South Wales countryside and mountains. Well-behaved dogs are welcome, as long as they are looked after by someone who isn't taking part in the adventures.

Tip: Book in advance, and arrive 30 minutes before your start time. Wear warm clothes with boots or trainers, and no sandals or open-toe shoes.

The National Waterfront Museum in Swansea's Maritime Quarter tells the story of industry and innovation in Wales over the last 300 years. It is part of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, housed in an original listed warehouse linked to an ultra-modern slate and glass building.

Inside, cutting-edge interactive technology sits alongside traditional displays, and you can go as deep into the exhibitions as you like. You'll find the Transport, Materials and Networks galleries and the "big things" that shaped the nation's industrial history. The Made in Wales gallery shows objects and artefacts from 1930 to the present day.

It is also one of the first museums in the UK to offer multilingual voiceovers and British Sign Language captioning on all interactive content.

Tip: There's no dedicated car park, but several pay and display car parks are a short walk away. For satnav, the museum's site suggests postcode SA1 3ST.

Swansea Museum is the oldest museum in Wales, opened in 1841 in a Grade II* listed neo-classical building in the Maritime Quarter. Its six galleries hold objects from Swansea, Wales and the wider world, with everything from an Egyptian mummy to a Welsh kitchen. Temporary exhibitions change through the year, so there is usually something different to see.

The museum also runs the Tramshed on Dylan Thomas Square, a conservatory-style gallery with a double-decker tram and a reconstruction of the 1804 horse-drawn Mumbles train, the first passenger railway service in the world. It suits history fans and anyone who likes a browse through local stories. There is an outdoor picnic area, a shop and toilets on site, and entry is free.

Tip: Parking at the museum is limited to a few free spaces, so the City Gates NCP or East Burrows Road car parks, both about a 4-minute walk away, are a good fallback.

Margam Castle is a Grade I listed country house near Port Talbot. Thomas Hopper designed it in the Tudor Revival style for Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, and it took five years to build. It stands in Margam Country Park, the former estate, which is also Grade I listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS register of historic parks and gardens in Wales.

The house is built of finely cut stone and is highly asymmetrical, with an elaborate porch, turrets, oriel windows, clusters of chimney stacks and plenty of heraldic decoration. A prospect tower modelled on the one at Melbury House crowns it. The castle also has a place in photography: the earliest known Welsh photograph, a daguerreotype, showed it. North of the castle you'll find the remains of an Iron Age hill fort, Mynydd-y-Castell.

Oystermouth Castle is a Norman stone castle in the village of Mumbles, overlooking Swansea Bay on the east side of the Gower Peninsula. It dates back to the 12th century, and the de Braose family rebuilt it in stone as a comfortable residence, with a high curtain wall, a chapel and three-storey living quarters with fireplaces.

Today you can explore the gatehouse, the keeps and the surfaced paths around the site, and visit the visitor centre. The highlight is the 14th-century chapel, with its traceried windows and traces of a medieval painting. A 30-foot glass viewing platform and bridge leads to it. Dogs on leads are welcome inside.

The castle was built for defence, so access is limited, especially for wheelchair users and pushchairs. Some paths are steep, and inside there are steps and uneven floors.

Tip: There is no parking at the castle. Try the car parks on Mumbles Road, or the Underhill car parks at the top of the village, which are a 5 to 10 minute walk. Check the Swansea Council visiting page for current opening and guided tour times.

Caerphilly Castle is the largest castle in Wales and the second-largest in the UK. Gilbert de Clare began it in 1268, and its concentric rings of walls, large twin-towered gatehouses and wide artificial lakes inspired Edward I's castles in North Wales. Historian Allen Brown called its water defences "the most elaborate water defences in all Britain".

Inside, the inner ward is an open courtyard with a well in the centre. The great hall, remodelled by Hugh Despenser the Younger in 1320, is the most richly decorated part, with tall windows, carved corbels and a large fireplace. You can also see the ruined chambers and the sandstone walls that were restored in the 20th century. The castle suits anyone interested in medieval history and in how castles were designed and defended.

Big Pit is a real coal mine and one of Britain's leading mining museums, standing on the heather-clad moors above Blaenavon. It worked as a colliery from 1880 to 1980 and opened to the public in 1983. The star attraction is the Underground Tour, which takes you 300 feet down with a real miner to see what life was like for the men who worked the coal face.

Back on the surface, there's a multi-media tour of a modern coal mine with a virtual miner in the Mining Galleries, plus exhibitions in the Pithead Baths and the historic colliery buildings. The museum sits within the Blaenavon Industrial Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is an anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It's an informative day out for all ages.

Tip: Underground tour places on the day aren't guaranteed a time slot and queues can build when busy, so book a timed Job-A-Knock ticket in advance to secure your spot.