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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask if anyone has stayed in a houseboat in the Norfolk broads?

13 replies

therenter · 30/09/2015 20:59

Posting here for higher traffic. But I wanted some advice. Basically dh and I are skint. Our annual holiday for the last few years has been a two night stay in a travel lodge and a day at a theme park.
We have 4 kids between the ages of 6 and 13 and they have said that they are done with the theme parks for a bit. Suggestions have been staying in a leisure park or boating or camping.

I have found some houseboats in the Norfolk broads. One is situated in Saltham opposite Moonfleet boatyard (I think that's right) it's Richardson cruises - the other is Wayford Park.
We could get a whole 7 days for less then £350 which I think is a bargain. We would also get the use of a rowing boat.
Has anyone been to any of these places before or lives near here who can give me some advice on which would be the best one to go for. Or an alternative at a similar price? Thank you.

OP posts:

Trafalgar1805 · 30/09/2015 21:49

Price sounds great..plenty to do in Norfolk...we visited recently and went up to Blakeney to see take a boat trip out to see the seals, the beaches are great, Cromer is lovely and all the villages around the broads are great. Norwich has a castle and cathedral x2 you can visits with all the usual big name shops. Some people love Great Yarmouth with its seaside attraction and amusements...

MinecraftWonder · 30/09/2015 21:52

Bloody hell, that's an outstanding price.

DH went on a boat holiday in the Norfolk Broads as a teenager. He still goes on about it now, how much he loved it.

We looked around a couple of years ago but the only prices we could find were astronomical (alike to a fortnight abroad for all of us!) so we've never gone back to it or considered it again.

I might have another look now!

TheCatsMother99 · 30/09/2015 21:54

Not stayed on a house boat but have had Norfolk broad holidays before (hired various boats for a week at a time) when I was a child up till the age of 14 (I think).

Loved it & wanted to do it ever since, the broads are lovely and there's a fair bit to do too. I'm slowly convincing my DH that the broads are the way to go.

Yimpy · 30/09/2015 22:00

Best holiday I've ever been on. It beat Florida, Ibiza, Corfu etc hands down.

My Mum and SD took me and my girlfriend (now wife) for a week with them to the broads on a houseboat and we had an absolutely brilliant time. It was a really relaxing holiday with tons of freedom. We loved being able to take the boat where we wanted and moor up where we wanted it was absolutely great.

You should let the kids get a shot of driving (sailing? piloting?) the boat, they'll get a kick out of that. You can only go five miles an hour and the broads are very wide and easy to navigate. They give you a short lesson before you go out, too.

But we loved it. We did nature walks during the day, spent some time in seaside towns, transversed from the north broads to the south broads, went into restaurants and pubs. At night we chilled out and had dinner on the boat on the outside. It was great.

Don't know how well your kids will have it but the youngest will love just being on the boat and the older kids - if they are good at chilling out, reading, soaking in the atmosphere - should enjoy the sights as well.

HamaTime · 30/09/2015 22:05

I went as a kid and it was brilliant! Knocked Disney Land into a cocked hat.

Greenteandchives · 30/09/2015 22:06

A houseboat is not the same as a cruiser. It is static on the river. And is cheaper for that reason. Still sounds lovely though, esp. with the rowing boat. Lovely to hire bikes and explore, as it is so flat around the Broads.

pacific · 30/09/2015 22:10

I think the house-boats you are descrbing will be static and close to the boatyard. Lots to do and see messing around the boatyard. Lots to do in Norfolk too. Our best family hols were there. You can hire a small picnic boat for a day or a few hours (take hats and sunscreen cos no shade out on the water). Take lots of stale bread and duck food too. Bliss.

Yimpy · 30/09/2015 22:16

Aah - my apologies. Assumed houseboat was the same as one that travels on the broads. Still a great location though and you should take the holiday, IMO.

Dawndonnaagain · 30/09/2015 22:16

I live in the Waveney Valley, near the broads, lots to do. Peaceful, fun.
There are some great places to go from Stalham, Norwich isn't too far and you can get to the coast too. I think you'd enjoy it.

Dawndonnaagain · 30/09/2015 22:16

Oh, nights can get cold. x

Greenteandchives · 30/09/2015 22:18

Just realised we have not actually answered your question, OP.......

TheCatsMother99 · 30/09/2015 22:36

I don't think it matters if the houseboat was static, you're still actually on the broads!

I'm not familiar with either of the places you've mentioned. Could you trip advisor search them?

RB68 · 30/09/2015 22:53

Love Norfolk - loads to do and see and beaches are fab (we were just down the road from Cromer this year) we are booked to go back Easter and Summer Hols - on look out for cheap wet suits now :-)

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