Hot tub club
Have a bubbly time in the great outdoors at a luxury wood cabin in the Forest of Dean
LYING back in our own hot tub, watching birds busily zip across the blue sky, the rush along the motorway to get here soon became a distant memory.
Throw in the view – trees as far as the eye can see – and you’ve got all the ingredients for a serious dose of relaxation.
Welcome to the world of Forest Holidays, the perfect break for those who want to get back to nature without sacrificing home comforts.
We visited their site in the glorious Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, close to the Welsh border. It’s one of nine such parks dotted across the UK, all part owned by the Forestry Commission.
The business has grown from having its first cabins in Scotland in the 1970s to more than 600 today. But to call them cabins doesn’t start to do justice to these stylish wood-clad lodges.
Some sit among the trees. The one we stayed in was on the edge of a large field dotted with other similar cabins, all with the forest right on the doorstep.
At the heart of the site is the Forest Retreat, where you can arrange a host of activities, get advice, stock up on food and drink, or grab a bite to eat.
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Each location has its own forest ranger who, for a fee, takes groups on woodland walks to catch bugs, learn forest crafts and find out more about plants and trees.
It’s a must for kids who, as another paid option, can learn essential survival skills such as lighting a fire without matches, building their own forest shelter and foraging for food.
If that weren’t enough, you can also venture out at sundown to explore the forest by night.
But if all that sounds a bit too much like hard work, then your cabin has everything you need to unwind.
Take the hot tub. Most of the cabins have their own one on the veranda. It was a big hit with our two kids – Isla, aged nine, and Sam, six – although for them it was less about relaxation and more about water fights.
It’s not the only thing laid on to ensure you make the most of your time on site.
The cabin itself is well equipped, with comfy beds, thick duvets, stylish bathrooms and a fully fitted kitchen with all mod cons.
If the idea of making your own food seems like too much hassle, you can even order your dinner to be delivered – through the cabin’s top of the range TV.
Options when we visited included a Pizza Night Pack and a Curry Night Pack, both €32.
You can even order a massage or beauty treatment in the comfort of your own cabin.
For us, ordering a takeaway through our telly when we were surrounded Mess about on the river Graham tries out hot tub with Isla, nine, and Sam, six
by nature didn’t seem quite right, but many will love the convenience.
And while there are activities on site – including bike hire, a bug hotel and playground – there was tons to do nearby too. It couldn’t get much closer than the archery range and high ropes tree top adventure, both just across the road.
But my top tip would be to head to Symonds Yat, a stunning spot, with an incredible vista point, that straddles the Forest cabins near River Wye, right