Sandy Balls - recent reviews please!

[KennedyD22]

Hi!

So I am trying to organise a staycation next year for me, my partner and our 2 girls. Looking at a week in April by which time my girls will be 2.5 and 1 so still too young to do any big activities. We're limited to one week as want it out of term time and I'm a student nurse with placements so needs to be when I'm not on placement.

We're looking at Sandyballs as I want to take them to peppa pig world and explore the new forest. We live in a holiday town in Devon so can do usual beach type stuff anytime.

Looking at the reviews, it seems really expensive for what it is - the week I'm looking at is around £1300 which we are happy to pay but only if it is worth the price tag as it is a lot of money for us at the moment. From the reviews it seems like accommodation is really on top of each other which we don't want.

We ideally want a place with a pool and soft play on site and a bit more luxury than a standard caravan (hope that doesn't sound snobby, we do normal caravans every year and want something special this time as it's been a difficult year).

Anyone recommend sandyballs and if so any particular accommodation you loved?? Or alternatively another holiday park place? We looked at forest holidays which looks lovely but £1600 for the week and there isn't the soft play or pool for my little ones seems a bit much for us.

Appreciate any recommendations!! Thanks in advance guys

Bump

Hello. I haven't been yet but have 2 nights booked in Oct. My kids are a little older but we also plan to go to Paultons. I had the same questions as you do. I found two useful chats on mumsnet. Do check them out....sorry I don't know how to share links but you can do a search with "sandy balls", should bring them up....they are "has anyone been to sandy balls recently?" and "sandy balls - what to bring"?

I haven't stayed at Sandy's Balls before, but £1300 for April does seem expensive. We have stayed at Bashley Holiday Park before which was nice and at Shorefield Holiday Park in Lymington. Both these parks have nice facilities, fairly simple swimming pools, but are also well place for exploring the New Forest and I think they would be cheaper than Sandy Balls, although Sandy Balls is near Fordingbridge which is a nice little town.

Not particularly recent as it was pre-covid, so they may well have changed things around. Unfortunately I didn't like it much. Pool was small (although less of an issue given the ages of your kids perhaps, mine were several years older) and too busy. On site catering was TERRIBLE! Again if you plan to cook in your accommodation this is less of a problem. But to me it's a bit of a bus man's holiday so I like to get a few dinners on site. That sounds costly too, so I'd look at Centre Parcs instead. I though Sandy Balls would be similar to CP, it wasn't!

£1300 out of term time is a ridiculous price. Have you looked at Peppa pig accomadation deals? What dates you looking at?

We did Sandy Balls last October half term it was lovely, really good time by dc older late primary so we did day trips and walks. Think it could get boring with little ones tbh.

I'm looking at April 17th. I'm limited due to placements for my nursing course and then of course term time & that's one of the only weeks that is suitable for both

I think it seems a bit ridiculous too, we're considering just mom - fri which is £900

Wouldn’t go back there. It was okay but the lodges weren’t especially clean and felt grubby.
Area is lovely but the on site catering is atrocious. We loathed it .
It is ridiculously expensive for what it is.

lovatparks.com/locations/new-forest/green-hill-farm-holiday-village

About £250 for the nights you want and not far from Paultons or new forest - sandy balls is not value for money and no way would pay £1300 for 4 nights - it's certainly no Centre Parcs!!

Sorry pressed send too soon - it's actually on the New Forest National Park and a great base to explore - not too far from Salisbury or Southampton - looks really nice

We stayed for a weekend in June, the lodge we stayed in was quite secluded, a couple of lodges near us but plenty of space in between. But looking around the park it did depend on what accommodation you stayed in.

The park is nice with quite a few activities, the area is lovely being in the new forest.

Another park we really like is Warmwell in Dorset.

I would recommend headlandsfarm.co.uk/lakeside-lodges

It's near me and is a lovely place with only 4 lodges I think

There is also a coffee shop which offers breakfast and lunch

headlandsfarm.co.uk/headlands-farm-coffee-shop

Similar price to Sandy Balls but top notch quality. It's around 5 mins drive from Peppa Pig World, 15 mins from New Forest Wildlife park and 30 mins from Marwell zoo

Not stayed at sandy balls but we camped next door over the summer so walked there to use facilities (which was allowed!). The shop is brilliant - local produce in a farm shop type place. The rest looks like a poor man’s centerparcs tbh

I am also familiar with Greenhill Farm - it's fine but it's had its staffing and organisational problems; more particularly around the start of their season in April when they start a massive recruitment drive for summer temp staff - it takes a while for them to flex up their service at the beginning of their season (my daughter briefly worked there)

I am going for a long weekend with older kids, but have never been before due to the price so can't comment but it is quite popular. It's in a lovely area for walks, and I am not expecting center parks. I have stayed at the Shorefield site and liked it but it is caravans and not as nice a setting. Nice leisure bit though. Rockley Park is also popular. Lodge sites around this way do seem to be expensive. Nearish to Sandy Balls is Moors Valley which is great for kids. There is also nearby the New Forest Wildlife Centre, Lepe, a river you can paddle in at Fordingbridge. Donkeys are outside the pub next to SB!

Wow thank you so much everyone! Really appreciate all the suggestions

I'm going to look into everywhere mentioned and see if something else looks better value!

Bearing in mind I was looking at the most expensive accommodation at sandyballs (knightwood) because

1. it's the only one with a lot of outdoor space that is gated off for my girls to run around and
2. is in a quieter part of the park and not on top of other caravans. There are cheaper options there but a gated off veranda is important as my girls love to play outside and be able to run free. But if the park itself feels cheap and run down it will bother me having paid so much

I stayed prior to Covid in a TriBeCa lodge. Was lovely and had a hottub, however was very overlooked so I didn't use it much, kids loved it tho.
Lodge had good facilities, but I remember it being quite reasonable in price (April in Welsh school holidays that differed to England), recently looked again and couldn't believe the increase in price!!
In terms of facilities, pool is tiny and only allowed a few people at a time, entertainment was geared to young children, turned away twice for eve entertainment (bingo) as was too full.
For the cost was nothing in comparison to eg CenterParcs.

We often go to Forest holidays and much prefer it al be it still expensive. Less to do but less built up, feels like an escape and peaceful. Always near places like Go Ape for kids things off site.

We went last summer and stayed in the lodge which was quite nice but the pool was terrible - small and extremely dirty. You could feel sand or grit on the pool floor - I wouldn't recommend it and we won't be going back