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TRAVEL NEWS
Active Fun at Centerparcs (Longleat Forest)
In Search of Some Sun (South of France)
Other Holiday Ideas
Active Fun at Centerparcs
by Annie Reid
The Centerparcs concept began thirty years ago as a holiday villa complex
in Holland. The Dutch operated company now has thirteen holiday villages
across Europe, including three in the UK. A well-tested formula is applied
across the group – each of the sites is set in approximately 400
acres with a mixture of woodland and water. On average there are 650
self-catering villas in each village which offer a variety of sports
and leisure activities. The focus of each village is the Subtropical
Swimming Paradise – a covered dome with a temperature of 84 degrees.
I visited Centerparcs' Longleat Forest site just outside Bath, on my own, pregnant, with my two young children. With hindsight, this was over-ambitious. The point about Centerparcs is that it is for active people, mucking in, whatever the weather. That is not to say that you cannot have your facial or pedicure (although book well in advance) but you won’t feel you have earned it until you have done your time on the squash court, taken the kids sailing on the lake or been beaten about on the swimming pool’s fabulous waterslides.
Longleat is set in acres of Huckleberry Finn countryside, and, except for getting to your villa, you cannot use your car. However, do not think that you will escape other people. Retreat can be found in the somewhat unaesthetic-looking villas. Don’t be put off by appearances as they are in fact very spacious and well-equipped. (Towels are not included, although you can hire them, but the bottle of Petit Chablis was a nice touch). The accommodation options range from comfort, executive and VIP villas and apartments.
There are three focal points within the complex – the Plaza (swimming, games arcade, shops and restaurants), the French Village (adventure playground and more restaurants), and the Jardins de Sports (badminton, water sports and spa). It is a good idea to familiarise yourselves with the layout before you arrive: you are sent reams of bumpf in advance.
There is a land train to ferry people from one activity centre to another, which otherwise would be up to a twenty-minute walk apart. The fun way to travel is by bike and there are trailers available to carry young children. After a couple of attempts to get from A to B lugging two unwilling little ones and my bump, I thought it best to leave the scheduled events to others, who seemed to be well-equipped with maps and even compasses – and that’s when we started to have fun.
We lazed by the lake’s white sandy beach, contemplating pedalo-ing or sailing, and watched would-be fisherman attempting to hook carp. A group of ten-year-olds were learning windsurfing basics, and behind us, just inside the forest, archery and assault courses were offering similar challenges. We could have joined in a puppet workshop, tried abseiling, basketball and horseriding; gentler activities for grown-ups include flower arranging and silk painting; and for very young ones there are swimming classes and a teddy bears’ picnic.
After an action-packed morning, you can meet up with your party in any of the eleven restaurants. We opted for pizza at Luciano’s (£25 for the three of us) in the Plaza. Also in the Plaza you can stock up with supplies from the supermarket. They have practically everything you could want although no fresh organic food was on offer. Note – as I failed to – that the last delivery time is 2.30pm. Yet again I cursed myself for not having done my homework before we’d arrived as I struggled up the steps to the cycle park with five bags of shopping and two hungry children in tow.
The highlight of our trip was undoubtedly the subtropical swimming paradise. Entrance is free to this maze of pools with wave machines, flumes and slides and there are hours of fun to be had. Some of the slides are really exhilarating and the kids think this is heaven. Bribery was the only means of dragging them away to our comfy villa, where we collapsed, vegged out in front of the telly and cooked a hearty meal. Here we slept deeply … only interrupted by the sound of owls hooting in the forest.
Facts and Figures
Centerparcs specialises in short break holidays, long weekends or mid-week
packages. Although they cater for younger children, families with kids
of 6+ would probably get the most out of the facilities. Try going with
a couple of families or your extended family.
Centerparcs Longleat is the closest to London but it is also the hilliest.
Other parcs are located in Wales, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk. The summer
months especially get very booked up so it is a good idea to book early.
At Longleat Centerparcs, for one week in July, a 3-bedroom executive villa will cost approx £1450. Swimming is free but most of the other activities cost between £5 and £16.50. For instance, Time-out Clubs for children aged 3–8 years for 2 hrs 30 mins costs £8.70.
Web: http://www.centerparcs.co.uk
Tel: 09705 200 300
In Search of Some Sun
by Emily Turner
There are times when, having endured three sodden summers in Cornwall, a long suffering parent’s trust in the British weather finally breaks and guaranteed sunshine goes to the top of the holiday wish list.
We joined forces with another family with similar aged kids and decided to go for the villa option. Where? Not too far afield. Travelling time with children should always be kept to a minimum. It had to be Europe. Sun a must – ruled out Northern France. Good food and wine – ruled out Greece and Turkey. Proximity to the sea ruled out Northern Italy. There is surprisingly little available in Southern Italy. This left Spain and the South of France. We opted for the latter. Another new departure was to take a nanny with us. Extravagant but, in the event, it made my holiday.
A number of travel agents and specialist villa companies cover the region. As a general rule, the cost of villas gets progressively cheaper the further away from the coast you go. This was fine by us as it is generally less spoilt inland.
After a stress-free Heathrow to Nice flight - ‘Look Mummy, palm trees’ - we bundled the kids into our hired Renault Espace and made our way to la Garde Freinet. It is only half an hour from St Tropez but the country is amazingly unspoilt.
The house was down a long winding track through pine and olive trees. A converted barn, there were two sleeping wings off the central eating/living area, making it perfect for two families. We had been worried about the heat but even our six-month-old baby seemed fine.
Garde Freinet is pleasant but not overly picturesque, which means it is not overflowing with tourists; getting breakfast became a ritual: the short exchange in the boulangerie, a quick caffeine shot in the café, mistral sand in your nostrils and you have morphed into Peter Mayle.
The pool was the focal point of the holiday. The bigger kids spent
hours mucking around in the water while the smaller ones were happy
playing in a small paddling pool in the shade. Meanwhile I lay on a
sun lounger and read a book, a feat I have never achieved on a family
holiday before. Lunches were suitably extended with the kids happily
inside out of the high sun while their irresponsible parents opened
another bottle of rosé.
We did venture out. The touristy but gorgeous hill town of Grimaud was a short drive away, and Port Grimaud, built in the 1960s as the Venice of the Cote d’Azur, complete with canals and faux Renaissance architecture, is an absurdly pretty fake.
Unable to face the hordes of Pampelonne, there is a surprisingly uncrowded beach at Port Grimaud and from there it is an easy twenty minute ferry to St Tropez itself. A wander past the moored up billionaire playthings, a lightening bikini purchase (I am shallow enough to enjoy saying ‘St Tropez’ when someone asks where I bought my swimming costume), a quick visit to the market, and then, just as the heat was picking up and the kids were about to degenerate into mass vileness, a remembered café in a quiet cobbled square overlooking the water which by some amazing fluke was where we remembered it had been and as nice as before.
We ate out on a couple of evenings, but on the whole our menfolk fufilled all stereotypes by leaping into action when presented with a barbeque. We combined small town market shopping with visits to the Geant outside St Tropez – several hundred aisles selling everything from pigs’ trotters to TVs made the biggest superstore in England look like a corner shop.
The difference between this and other family holidays we have had? When we got back, I felt as though I had been on holiday, rather than running my children’s. I had acquired several kilos, and, more importantly, a suntan.
Facts and Figures
A typical villa sleeping 8, booked through Balfour France, costs £3000
in July/August.
Web: http://www.balfourfrance.com
Tel: BROCHURE LINE: 020 8878 1211, RESERVATIONS:
020 8878 9955
Car Travel:
They can arrange good value car hire and accommodation for the
journey down.
You can put the car on the train across the Channel or the whole way
(change at Calais). Eurostar Bookings: 0870 160 6600, http://www.eurostar.com
P&O Ferries from Dover: 0870 6000600, http://www.poferries.com
Air Travel:
Easy Jet, Ryanair and BA all fly to Nice, Marseille or Toulon. The drawback
to flying is the cost of car hire. Hertz tel: 0870 599 6699.
The Good Britain Guide 2003
Essential reading if you need ideas of where to stay and what to do
over the Easter and summer holidays. Pick the county you’re interested
in and get a general low-down on what’s of interest, and then
delve further into the descriptions of individual towns and villages.
In addition to reviews of restaurants, hotels, museums and family attractions,
there are discount vouchers. We have five copies to give away to the
first five callers.
Tel: 020 7603 1366.
Babygoes2.com
It’s time to book your summer holiday. And, as a rule of thumb,
if the kids are happy, you have a recipe for a successful holiday. Whatever
type of break you are looking for, whether it’s holidaying with
a couple of families in a villa in Europe, camping or going long-haul,
Babygoes2.com will have loads of options to choose from – all
tried and tested as to how child-friendly they are – not only
the destination but also the methods of transport.
Web: http://www.babygoes2.com
The beach, the sea, the sun?
When the weather is good, where is there better to holiday than by the
English seaside – surely we’re owed a good summer this year?
Coast & Country Cottages have the largest selection of holiday homes
to rent in the Salcombe area of Devon – the perfect location for
sailing, sandy beaches, crabbing and cream teas. For a copy of their
free brochure:
Tel: 01548 843773 or
Web: http://www.coastandcountry.co.uk
Family chill out in comfort in Suffolk
The Dower House Apartments at Luxury Family Hotels’ The Ickworth
are now open. You 
can enjoy all the benefits of this family friendly
hotel (kids' meals, bikes to hire, bottle warmers, you name it) but
it’s just even a bit more laid back. All 11 apartments are different
from each other, all with exquisite decor, including lovely wooden beds
and gorgeous bathrooms. The kitchens are designed to make light meals
only. A two-bedroomed apartment at The Dower House costs approx £660
for a 3-night weekend. For information, contact The Ickworth Hotel,
Suffolk:
Tel: 01284 735350
A godsend to parents on the move
When you don’t want to be weighed down with a buggy but your child
needs a bit of a rest, let a hip seat can take the strain. Suitable
from 6 months to 3 years, it works by spreading the weight of your child
around your hips, thereby reducing strain to your arms, back and shoulders.
The Hippichick Child Hipseat has inside pockets which are ideal for
passports and tickets and is available in four colours (navy blue, olive
green, black and burgundy). Available from branches of John Lewis, Lilliput
and Babyworld. £34.95.
Exclusive villa holidays
Abercrombie & Kent has bought International Chapters, the very upmarket
villa company.
A & K Chapters has villas in Europe and also further afield, including
Mauritius, Morocco and the Carribean. Call one of their consultants or
request a brochure:
Tel: 0845 0700 618
Web: http://www.villa-rentals.com
First published in angels and urchins, Spring 2003