My Torquay Hen Do: Real Customer Review

Real Reviews: Sometimes the best hen weekends are the ones filled with surprises. In this diary, our bride-to-be recounts a sun-soaked weekend on the English Riviera involving surfing, cocktails, and a very popular life drawing model.

The moment that my fiancé proposed (and I said yes—obviously, though I made him sweat a little!), I knew that the hen do was going to be all-important for me. I’ve been very lucky to have four distinct groups of girls who are all as important to me as each other. So this weekend was going to have to be extremely well organised.

When I sat down with Pippa (my Maid of Honour and best friend since I was three), we very quickly decided we wanted sea, sand, and sun (or at least as much sun as you get in the UK). Where suits that better than the English Riviera? A Torquay hen do was the decision!

I handed Pippa my guest list and left her to it. After all, what’s the point of going on a hen do if you aren’t going to be surprised?

Friday: Gin & Reunions

I knew nothing until Friday morning, when Pippa showed up with two more friends ( Charlotte and Katy) to pick me up. As soon as I got in the car, they handed me a can of pre-mixed gin cocktail. Because if you can’t drink gin at 11am on your way to your hen weekend, when can you?

A couple of hours later, we were beside the seaside. Pippa drove right down to the seafront where we walked to a lovely little café. I was amazed to discover that everyone else was already there waiting for me! A light lunch and a couple of glasses of bubbles later, the different friend groups were already bonding perfectly.

We checked into our accommodation, which was a great standard considering the price. More importantly, it had a bar! After freshening up, we headed out for our first surprise.

Friday Night: Shaken & Stirred

Pippa had booked us a Cocktail Making Class! I cannot recommend this enough—it was insanely good fun. We learned how to make loads of different drinks and, more importantly, got to drink them too.

Several cocktails in, we headed out for a tour of the local Torquay bars. The plan was a crawl, but the second bar we went into was so friendly and fun that we ended up staying there all night until they threw us out at closing time!

Saturday: Surf's Up

The next morning, my headache was not pleasant. But Pippa marched us down to the beach, and the fresh sea air cleared my hangover in minutes. Which was a good job, because our next activity was a Surfing Lesson.

Full disclosure: I've never surfed before. But the instructor handled our mixed-ability group brilliantly. I’m certainly a convert now; that feeling when I finally popped upright on the board was amazing. I even ended up buying a cute pink and black wetsuit in town afterwards!

Saturday Afternoon: The Hot Model

After dropping our shopping at the hotel, Pippa led us to the next surprise: Nude Life Drawing.

I have a degree in Fine Art, so she clearly picked this so I'd be good at it. The artist in me wants to say I enjoyed studying the human form—but the hen in me just wants to say that the model was HOT! He was naked and "gifted," which certainly made the activity fun for artists and non-artists alike. If you go on a hen do in Torquay, I hope you get the same model!

The Big Night Out

That night, determined to see more of the town, we bounced through three or four bars before finding a retro-themed nightclub. I love some cheese and 80s bangers, and this place delivered. The drinks were cheap, the music was great, and at least two of the single girls found some lovely locals to spend time with.

As we drove home the next day—broken, hungover, and tired—I looked back with wonder. My Torquay hen weekend was, indeed, perfect.

Inspired by this story? Get in touch with The Stag and Hen Experience or check out our essential Torquay Hen Do Guide for some great ideas and inspiration.