Sandy Balls Holiday Centre
January is not the ideal month to consider holidaying in the UK, unless you're talking about a trip to the slopes of Aviemore of course, but, sometimes you just have to get away don't you. Well, we did. Exhausted by cold weather, and staring at the same four walls for days on end, we took the bull by the horns, and...headed south to the intriguing and snigger-inducing named holiday centre that is Sandy Balls.
Let's just get the obvious out of the way first shall we? The name Sandy Balls is derived from... an ancient fable in which a nearby Bournemouth man loses his pants. No seriously, it's a really ancient name traced back to the time of Henry VII. Who may also have lost his pants. But more importantly Sandy Balls is 120 acres of pure New Forest woodland in which you can cherry-pick your get-away accomodation from Teepee, luxury lodge, BYO tent or the good old fashioned and terribly retro-darling static caravan. We plumped for the luxury Lodge (it was January for Chrissakes!!) and it certainly didn't disappoint. Our two bedroomed log cabin was a boutique-style bonus we really weren't expecting with a cosy lounge complete with TV & DVD player, french windows opening onto a private decked area, all mod-cons kitchen, ensuite shower room plus seperate family-sized bathroom. Oh and a brilliant wood-fire effect plasma screen, it sounds vile, but trust us it rocked!
Where do we start? Choosing what to do with your valuable holiday-time depends very much on the age of your kids, and the weather you get. Although like most families we have long ago realised that there is no such thing as inclement weather, just inappropriate clothing. As luck would have it the wintery sun shone, making our stroll down to the river Avon an idyllic country pursuit. For families looking for some wheelie-action there is a comprehensive bike hire centre on site with everything from toddler-trailers, baby-seats, man-bikes, lady-bikes, bells, horns and whistles. There is also thank goodness, a really good range of trail options, many of which cleverly take in either a pub, cake shop or both. There's also a very, very nice indoor pool to splash around in and for warmer days a vast outdoor one; a gym offers fitness classes for the super-fit (not sure who wants to exercise in a gym when they're on holiday, but hey, who are we to judge? Much more likely a destination for the knackered parent is the bijou spa which boasts a friendly team of therapists (Decleor-trained) as well as a sports masseur called Jason who made this knackered writer a little bit less knackered during our stay. Added to the bliss of my spa treatment was the knowledge that my dear husband was getting splashed continuously in the face by our over-exhuberent toddler in the pool. Deep joy.
Thre's a great adventure playground for big kids and for the under five's there is even a soft-play area with sofas for parents, so it's not impossible to grab a takeaway cappacinno from the nearby restaurant, a paper and a pastry from the impressive country food store (stocking everything from Weetabix to local vegetables) and pop your feet up while your kids knacker themselves out.
If you have the time exploring the area around Sandy Balls is a must. There's a pony trekking centre, Bournemouth's Oceanarium (a great destination for rainy afternoons), and of course the South Coast's ridiculously stunning sandy swathes of beaches. If you're heading that way, Bournemouth and Boscome beaches are of course everything you would expect in a British seaside treat but go a little further afield and Hengistbury head is a real eye-opener with a train ride for little folk and a great seafood cafe right on the beach.
Sandy Balls really comes into it's own in the summer months and hosts regular activities and entertainments, although through our own bad timing we'd managed to just miss both the ice-rink and Burns Night hooley. You can't have everything.
In the end we were hugely impressed with this place and will definately be returning, with the New Forest a constant source of amazement for small urban children who will be delighted by the profusion of ponies and donkeys around every corner.
Log cabins start at special offer low season rates of £199.00 for a weekend, and £149.00 for a midweek break. Peak seasons prices start from £499.00 for a weekend and £929.00 for the week. The more affordable Holiday homes start from £289.00 for the weekend.
There are 3 levels of camping options. Prices start at £35 per night. For more details visit: www.sandy-balls.co.uk
