Kissimmee

Kissimmee is a picturesque and attractive city sat just south of Orlando on Lake Tohopekaliga in Florida.  Despite its proximity to Walt Disney World, Kissimmee is often overlooked as a base from which to explore all that central Florida has to offer, despite it being a cheaper and often a more convenient option.  Kissimmee has grown in recent years in order to attract the hordes of tourists flying to Florida, with its own attractions designed to appeal to visitors.

Kissimmee is now a major hub for hotels and accommodation and has become a major tourist destination all year round for those eager to soak up a little of Florida’s famous sunshine.  The city can boast an attractive array of hotels, motels and private villas, most – if not all – of them providing residents-only swimming pools.

You can best reach Kissimmee from Orlando International Airport, from which is a very quick drive.  Orlando also has an airport a few miles north of the city in Sanford.  The best way to get to your accommodation is by hiring a car – in fact you’re hard pressed to get around the US at all if you haven’t got wheels.  Make sure you have a few quarters ready before you set off though as there are many tolls along the way and some are not manned.

A holiday in Kissimmee can act as a base for a Disney-based holiday but has enough appeal of its own to make a vacation there memorable and enjoyable without even thinking of encountering Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto.  You can spend an afternoon on an airboat, gliding across the Everglades; play golf at its most craziest at one of a number of fun-based courses, or be wined and dined at Medieval Times, a dinner and show set in a huge arena where knights joust just like they did in medieval England.

There’s also Water Mania, an exhilarating splash-based theme park for both the young and the young-at-heart; Gatorland, a popular wildlife park where you can see much more than just alligators, and Reptile World where you can experience some of the creepiest and crawliest of nature’s creatures.

Of course being centred in Kissimmee puts you just a brief drive away from the five Walt Disney World parks, and its two water parks.  But don’t forget you’re also close to Seaworld, Discovery Cove, Wet ‘n’ Wild and Universal Studios, plus all of the less-famous attractions to be found in Orlando.  Then there’s the real taste of American life with strip-malls and huge shopping areas where you can spend all day spending if you so wish.

Kissimmee also has its own appeal away from the attractions and white-knuckle rides.  There are a few interesting museums which trace the recent history of the US and Kissimmee itself.  Kissimmee is also a centre for the arts, being close to the Orlando Museum of Art and the Osceola Center for the Arts.

The city of Kissimmee has a more local and hospitable feel to it as opposed to the tourist-land of Orlando which at times feels like one huge expanse of hotels, restaurants and gift shops.  Base yourself in Kissimmee if you wish to intersperse the more adventurous and tourism-based days in your holiday with something just that little bit more cultured.