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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Haven Recommendations and why? Any tips?

46 replies

gingerrcat · 17/07/2023 23:11

Not sure if we will take dc out of school so looking to book the end of August or October half term.

Are the parks ridiculously busy in half term? I know there will be kids all over the place but does this mean we couldn't swim some days (as others have reserved?)

Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

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gingerrcat · 18/07/2023 20:55

@Caravanvirgin how do you mean, it wasn't clean at butlins?

I have read another thread and someone spoke about cleaning their accommodation when they arrived which I do not want to be doing!

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thaisweetchill · 18/07/2023 20:55

Been to a few and never had a problem, really enjoyed our stay.

Devon Cliffs - really lovely, but massive and steep. We went first week of September after holidays and it was busy so could see this being very busy in holidays.

Riviere Sands, Hayle - a bit of a smaller site and not as steep. Pool wasn't the best. Lovely beach which was a steep walk down.

Quay West, New Quay, Wales - we stopped here a few weeks ago and was our favourite site. We had the cheapest caravan but it was lovely, beds were very comfy. Pool was great, had a slide for toddlers. Arcade was brill too. This was also on the beach and had a walk down but not as bad as the other two sites. They had a big park, mini golf, a small indent garden area thing. We'd definitely stop here again.

gingerrcat · 18/07/2023 20:58

MissDollyMix · 18/07/2023 20:26

We used to go to Haven Berwick upon tweed a lot when the DC were little. They LOVED it. Better than Disneyland apparently. Berwick site is tiny compared to others which suited us fine. We just used it as a base. It’s a great location for exploring the area. DC used to love all the slot machines and the disco. The pool wasn’t up to much. It was never particularly crowded or noisy. Always felt quite clean. Definitely upgrade to the best spec caravan you can afford. The basic ones are extremely old and… well… basic. DC still ask to go back even though they’re teenagers now!

Oh I have just looked and it's too far really to go for us but lovely to hear how much the now teens loved it!

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thaisweetchill · 18/07/2023 20:58

thaisweetchill · 18/07/2023 20:55

Been to a few and never had a problem, really enjoyed our stay.

Devon Cliffs - really lovely, but massive and steep. We went first week of September after holidays and it was busy so could see this being very busy in holidays.

Riviere Sands, Hayle - a bit of a smaller site and not as steep. Pool wasn't the best. Lovely beach which was a steep walk down.

Quay West, New Quay, Wales - we stopped here a few weeks ago and was our favourite site. We had the cheapest caravan but it was lovely, beds were very comfy. Pool was great, had a slide for toddlers. Arcade was brill too. This was also on the beach and had a walk down but not as bad as the other two sites. They had a big park, mini golf, a small indent garden area thing. We'd definitely stop here again.

*insect area

Forgot to mention with the pools they opened the bookings about a month before we visited. I booked as early as we could and got slots for all the days we were there.

gingerrcat · 18/07/2023 21:06

thaisweetchill · 18/07/2023 20:55

Been to a few and never had a problem, really enjoyed our stay.

Devon Cliffs - really lovely, but massive and steep. We went first week of September after holidays and it was busy so could see this being very busy in holidays.

Riviere Sands, Hayle - a bit of a smaller site and not as steep. Pool wasn't the best. Lovely beach which was a steep walk down.

Quay West, New Quay, Wales - we stopped here a few weeks ago and was our favourite site. We had the cheapest caravan but it was lovely, beds were very comfy. Pool was great, had a slide for toddlers. Arcade was brill too. This was also on the beach and had a walk down but not as bad as the other two sites. They had a big park, mini golf, a small indent garden area thing. We'd definitely stop here again.

Thank you!

Newquay was also on our list- is there much in the area?

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gingerrcat · 18/07/2023 21:08

@thaisweetchill useful to know thanks so much.

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Courgeon · 18/07/2023 21:08

We loved haven when kids were younger..I may try and drag them again even though they're teenagers. Devon sands for location but on site food was a bit off, perran sands great beach and surf lessons. Favourite was hafan y mor in Wales it's a flagship site and it shows. Also there's so much to do in the local area. My 2 even enjoyed the cheesy evening entertainment! Some of our favourite holidays to be honest.

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 18/07/2023 21:18

@gingerrcat

What was the indoor pool like?

Decent sized pool, one big flume/slide thing, a little section that had jacuzzi style bubbles and a separate toddler splash pool with sprinklers. The changing village was basic just lots of individual changing cubicles a couple of family sized ones and then open showers for a quick rinse off but you're only. 3 -5 minute walk from your caravan so we just threw towel ponchos on and got changed back at the van. The outdoor pool was actually under a kind of mesh dome and attached to the indoor pool so you could switch between them, it was really well heated so the outdoor pool was like a giant bath with a cool breeze over your head.

Was there decent parking in Great Yarmouth?

Yes, lots of parking and about £10 for the full day, we did get there quite early though by 9.30am so the Pleasure beach rides weren't open yet, they opened between 10am and 11am. There's a Harry Ramsdens restaurant on the beach front and more arcades than you can keep track of. If you do get a chippy though eat in inside, we had to stifle the giggles when a family had their lunch stolen by the seagulls because they chose the outdoor seating, then the idiot man of the family came stomping in to the restaurant and insisted on free replacement meals because the seagull had stolen them!

On-site
The beach is accessed directly from the back of the entertainment complex down a ramp and some steps, that gets you to a lovely little cove which was really nice and quiet. There's a tap at the top of the steps so you can rinse off feet before heading back into the main park.

Our caravan was a Gold one, had oven, microwave, dishwasher and fully stocked with plates/cutlery/pans etc. bedding and towels are included with silver and gold vans. Shower is teeny but got nice and hot and had good pressure so other than a couple of banged elbows it was perfectly adequate and the van was clean throughout.

We chose one in advance (Birkdale) which was a bit further away from the entertainment complex and was right on the edge of a play area so DD could just go play and we could watch from the porch. We wanted to be away from the thick of it so it was quieter and it really was quiet, no overnight noise at all.

There's a mini-market with enough of a selection that you could stock the fridge and cupboards from but prices are high. They have lots of good tat too like postcards and souvenir stuff. Otherwise there's a Tesco, Lidl and Morrisons between the park and Gt Yarmouth beach to stock up on supplies.

Right outside the park gates there's 2 arcades, a Chinese takeaway, a chippy and a little further down a McColls convenience store.

finewelshcheese · 18/07/2023 21:25

I feel a bit wistful thinking about Haven Devon cliffs 😂

Used to go every year as a kid, not sure I'd love it now.

Sodie · 18/07/2023 21:32

We do haven a lot (and butlins). Best we have visited is hafan y mor. Very clean, super pool and never seen any trouble.

Marton mere (mare?) Blackpool...Avoid avoid avoid. Honestly it was bad.
Kiln park Tenby, a small inside pool but again very clean, a big outside swimming pool with a deep end rather than a paddling pool. But it is such a lovely site. Similarly Quay west is as nice.

RainbowConnection1 · 18/07/2023 21:35

RainbowConnection1
We've been to Primrose Valley in the past and it was great!

Another I looked at- it's big isn't it?

What are the facilities like and the indoor pool please?

Thank you.

When we were there the facilities were really good and the indoor and outdoor pools were well tended to. The park is massive but well looked after. There's even an outdoor cinema.

SushiSuave · 18/07/2023 21:39

We went to a haven site for the first time last year - Rockley park near Poole - and it exceeded my expectations! I was expecting rough and ready but it was all really nicely done. Good facilities, caravan was nicer than the picture even though it was the saver option. We've booked sea view near Weymouth for August and hoping it is just as good. We haven't bothered with the wristbands either time as we are not into evening entertainment and we've gone out and about during the day so seemed like a lot of money for a swimming pool session, and that's if the slots haven't all been booked up.

Hihihihihihihihihi · 19/07/2023 14:49

gingerrcat · 18/07/2023 19:33

@Hihihihihihihihihi oh no why?

We visited Hafan Y Mor last summer and whilst the area was lovely the site itself was awful. I would definitely return to the area but not to Haven itself.
On the Haven site there were drunks everywhere (including the middle of the day), shouting matches (including child inappropriate language), most activities closed and looking run down - it really wasnt a pleasant place to be and we looked to move elsewhere whilst there

WafflingDreamer · 19/07/2023 15:05

Not Haven but we stayed at Felixstowe beach last year which is park holidays and we enjoyed it. There is a Lidl about 5 minutes walk away and the beach was about a 10 minute walk. There was an indoor pool on site which you had to prebook but we always got the sessions we wanted, when we finished swimming we booked for the next session we wanted and it worked well for us. The restaurant was not great, they didn't start serving breakfast until 9am and the service for evening meals was awful, one night we waited over 90mins so I wouldn't bother paying for food again but otherwise I liked it. They also accept a £30 deposit which was good as we paid it off in small amounts

DeltaAlphaDelta79 · 19/07/2023 15:08

Another vote in favour of Haven, particularly Hopton. Great site, loads to do and close (a short drive) to Yarmouth. We have been to several Haven sites and all have been good, but Hopton is my personal favourite.

telli · 19/07/2023 15:19

We went to primrose valley a few years ago and yes it's a big park but in a really good location, there are a few parks along the same bit and the beach is fantastic. Craig Tara is very good. Haggerston castle gets fantastic reviews but I just found it a bit meh to be honest.

gogomoto · 19/07/2023 15:35

If your budget doesn't stretch to haven look at park holidays or parc resorts. Had some good trips, facilities vary a lot by park but like others have said, they are what you make of it, if you go with a sniffy attitude and looking down on others you won't enjoy it. They really aren't that different to centreparcs - seaside rather than wooded, not pretending not to be mobile homes, but they are all holiday parks with pools and other activities

gingerrcat · 23/07/2023 23:08

So Park and Park Dean also look good- any recommendations on these?

I've spent hours looking at havens on trip advisor and it really does seem down to

  1. Personal opinions/ expectations
  2. Luck of the draw with caravan (broken/ dirty)
  3. Who is there at the time.
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entitledparents · 23/07/2023 23:14

We've done a few as we have a dog who comes with us. Used to camp a lot so a caravan is a luxury. Kids love it. Loads to do and we use as a base to go out in local area. Never had an issue booking stuff or swimming.

mintich · 23/07/2023 23:22

We love going to Hopton. Lovely park and lots to do in the area

mastertomsmum · 23/07/2023 23:22

I only know about holidays in holiday cottage type accommodation, but I’d be really, really surprised if any August holidays other than cancellations were still available, likewise half term. With holiday properties I’ve already had to book Summer 2024.

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