This year’s hip holiday hotspot? Bedfordshire...
WHISPER it, but Center Parcs seems to be the new hip holiday destination. Everyone I know has been raving about the place, so I booked a two-night stay at Woburn Forest to see what all the fuss was about.
Situated just off the M1 in Bedfordshire, the resort is set in 350 acres of beautiful forest and has the biggest subtropical swimming pool in the country. There’s also a spa and hotel overlooking the picturesque waterfront and boating lake, and a central plaza where most of the activities take place.
Our two-bedroom lodge in the Maple section of the resort had lovely views of the forest. Outside, there was a terrace with table and chairs and a barbecue. Inside, the kitchen was well equipped with an oven, microwave and dishwasher, while the living room boasted a large TV, DVD player and log fire.
Even though we opted for selfcatering, we appreciated the hotel touches. There’s room service and lodges are cleaned daily – staff even load and unload the dishwasher!
On arrival we had requested a welcome grocery pack that included all the essentials you need for a weekend and some much welcome extras, including a chilled bottle of wine.
On site there’s a well-stocked and reasonably priced supermarket with ready-made meals from high street firm Cook, in addition to an in-store bakery, and everything you could need for an impromptu barbecue or birthday party. You can also bring your own groceries into the resort.
We visited over a bank holiday when the resort was fully occupied, so I was expecting long queues for the activities, but Woburn Forest is so spacious that it never felt busy.
I loved the wonderful cycle rides through the forest and we enjoyed several walks on the footpaths and running tracks.
If you have your own bikes, bring them along, although you can hire them. And whatever the weather, you won’t be short of things to do. The list of indoor and outdoor activities to choose from is almost overwhelming. From badminton to boating, zip-wiring to chocolatemaking, there is something for visitors of all ages.
My three-year-old daughter Matilda enjoyed a 45-minute session on a balance bike in the indoor sports hall. You can try your hand at pretty much anything from fencing to wall-climbing to short tennis and squash (on proper courts).
An hour on the snooker table costs £7 while an hour of bowling is £29 for up to six people. The climbing wall looked great, but at £18.50 per child for 25 minutes, I thought it was overpriced.
We enjoyed a family pottery painting session and there are also ‘drop-off’ activities at the children’s den. We checked Matilda in for the chocolate chef’s academy session (£24 for three hours), where she designed her own apron and cooked some tasty treats.
She also enjoyed the pirates and princess adventure (£34 for three hours), where she made new friends, played party games, drew a treasure map and made a tiara.
SUCH activities mean parents get to enjoy some downtime. I visited the Aqua Sana spa, which was first-class. Set over two floors, there are saunas, steam rooms, reflexology foot baths and an outdoor hydrotherapy pool. You can also book in for treatments. The hour-long Elemis facial was wonderful.
What I liked most about the resort was that it wasn’t too big. There’s a good selection of restaurants and cafes, many with outdoor dining.
After lunch at Cafe Rouge, we went to the crazy golf course and later enjoyed crepes at the popular Pancake House, which is a great place to be when the sun is shining.
There’s a lovely stretch of sand to play on and you can hire rowing boats, pedalos and kayaks. Halfhour sessions start from £10 and life jackets are provided at the Boat House. All activities need to be booked in the main village, but I would recommend doing it online before your break starts.
There are also some unusual things to do which made the whole experience memorable. We loved seeing baby owls (£10 for 45 minutes) – you get to hold human-reared owls and watch them fly.
Just behind the waterfront is a treetop adventure playground offering climbing and zip rides across the lake. Matilda was too small for some of the activities, but she enjoyed a pony ride. It was her first time in the saddle and she loved it.
We were so busy we nearly forgot to visit the subtropical swimming paradise. With its wave pool and water slides, it’s great fun for everyone, although there are height restrictions for some of the bigger rides. You can hire private poolside cabanas, complete with TVs and stocked fridges, for £75 a day to make it an extra-special experience.
I’ll admit it: I was sceptical at first but Center Parcs was great fun.