Holiday Review - Sandy Balls

As a family we were invited to visit Sandy Balls. The name usually brings a smile to most people's faces, which I don't think is a bad thing. The site is located in the beautiful New Forest which is one of my favourite places in the UK. My family consisted of my husband, my two children and my parents, plus a very sedate old and gentle Kings Charles Spaniel called Dexter. My parents were the first to arrive and were greeted at the exceptional Welcome Building by friendly and efficient staff. We visited just out of the peak season in September, so it was not very busy but there were enough people around to make the site feel alive and welcoming.

On this occasion, as I have been to Sandy Balls camping before, we stayed in a lodge. It was a real luxury to have a lodge which was very clean and well equipped. The weather was turning out to be an Indian Summer so our days were sunny and warm, however the evenings were chilly and the warmth of the lodge was very welcoming. The lodge did make me feel a little like I was living in a large shed as the walls and ceilings are all tunnel and groove wood panels that are stained to give a natural effect. It was not unpleasant but unless the sun reached through the windows our lodge did feel a little dark at times during the day. I was also pleased to notice that as we did have a dog allowed lodge that it did not smell of other dogs. There was plenty of hot water and overall very comfortable and cozy.

We made the most of the excellent take away facilities, eating all our main meals out. We visited the courtyard and had a takeaway on our first night. The children were able to run around and enjoy the climbing frames. There was a disco on the Friday night but it was not invasive to those that perhaps did not want to hear all the music but to sit and chat.

We ate both our other meals at The Bistro. It was my son's birthday on the Saturday and they kindly decorated the table with balloons and prepared our cake for us. I was a little disappointed with the evening meal in that 5 out of the 6 starters we ordered were sold out, and then we had to change main courses as well. We had booked our table for 7.40pm so not that late, but everything had gone. They were either very busy or not prepared. We had Jazz playing in the background which was nice, but I found the sound in the restaurant a little diffiucult to hear. I would definitely recommend booking for a meal as it does get busy, but the food we did have was very good. Some of the staff were friendly but I found perhaps the younger staff not very concerned that we were not able to have our first choice of food.

We had booked for the carvery on the Sunday, so I was little apprehensive about it, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the food excellent. I would highly recommend the carvery and avoid eating anything before yo go!. Again book early to avoid disappointment.

The children loved the swimming pools, and we visited both days. It was lovely and clean and the staff were friendly and helpful. The children love the Hamster Ball, and both had 5 mins trying to walk across the outdoor pool. If you are looking for a way to exhaust your child, this is it!

We also took advantage of the lovely walks around the site, down to the River Avon and through the forest. It is a little steep in places so people who are a little unsteady on their feet might find this a little hard. Certainly suitable for a buggy, and definitely works for an off road buggy. The children loved picking up sticks and the climbing trees. It took us a couple of hours of slow strolling, so it is certainly a distance that young children could cope with.

We did take the bikes for the children and they loved the freedom of being able to ride off around the site. They were 7 and 10 so old enough for a little independencer. I would not suggest it was completely safe for younger children as there is traffic on the roads at all times. However, our older children enjoyed being able to visit the shop on their own to buy croissants for breakfast. The shop is probably one of the best I have seen for a campsite. It is extremely well stocked and very competively priced.

Overall I would definitely recommend Sandy Balls as a resort for either a lodge, camping or caravan. The complex is well maintained, the flowers were beautiful all around the centre and it was clean. The staff were friendly and helpful and genuinely seemed to want to be working there. Sandy Balls is ideally placed for visits to lots of places outside the complex and we did drive out to see the New Forest and the ponies. After a long weekend at Sandy Balls I returned home refreshed and feeling like I had been on a week's holiday.

Debbie and her family

To see more about Sandy Balls visit their website at www.sandy-balls.co.uk or call 0845 2702248 For general enquiries call 01425 653042