Center Parcs and more

So after a break of over 10 years , when someone says let's all(13) go to Center Parcs, you agree in principle not realising they meant Easter weekend and with a bill that could have seen me flying around the world it was time to set off for Longleat Center Parcs.

Not too much of a journey 2-3 hrs by car, with Tom Tom traffic kindly avoiding the worst of any delays (It is the west country route notorious for delays (A303))

We would normally stop at Solstice Park services (just before Stonehenge) with it's now many food providers, we decide to crack on whilst we had no delays. 

We arrive in good time at around 11.00 hrs to find a short check in que to get in ( well to the car park anyway) as you can't get into the villas until 16.00hrs which I'm sure is later than it used to be .


After meeting a few of the younger extended family (they had already been in the pool) and awander around the parc market (co-op with comparable high street prices) a quick sandwich and drink , we wander to our villa number 154 -  a 2  bedroom modern type within about 5 minute walk of the pool and restaurant plaza.

Not much appeared to have changed in that time, apart from some changes to the restaurants,  restaurants and digital locks on the doors, it all looked very familiar.







The other bonus with being near the plaza is that you are near the car park so unloading etc is quick and doesn't require a mammoth trek back to the villa when you've unloaded - Longleat is quite large and the small land trains don't run during check in times on Mondays and Fridays. (they only run every 20 minutes any way and quite often are full)

We decide to get an Indian take away - not from the expensive on site Prajesh one, but most of the local Warminster Curry houses will deliver to the gate house, you just need to pick it up.

Day one done and it's time to retire after gazing at the clear skies with no light pollution, feeling like you are in the middle of no where.

After the obligatory sausage sandwich ( it seems we have packed enough food for everyone for a week !! ) it's time for a wander to catch up with everyone and work out a plan of attack. One of our party had brought their dog and so was located as far out as you can possibly be, so be warned if you like your pooch with you- and they can't go in any of the plazas etc unless it's an assistance dog.

The Girls had booked a spa session, so the Boys and kids had other activities booked in the sports hall, which is next to the spa. You are advised to pre book all these activities, and just turning up would no doubt see you disappointed.



A quick jaunt back to the villa to pick up the swimming cosies, and it's just in time before the two big rides close at 19.00hrs ( all the other shutes/ rapids are open until close at 21.00hrs )





The water temperature is nice and warm, but think they must have been missing a few million gallons of water somewhere as the rapids were more of trickle, but still fun enough, when there's a group of you and going early evening less young children in the pool - no doubt knackered from the day or having dinner.

A few more activities over the next day or so and our only on site restaurant visit to the Forester's inn for Sunday lunch Foresters - ok-  but would you go back, probably not - just an average roast but the staff were uber friendly, and this is the one place where you can bring your dog !



So Monday morning comes around and you have to be out by 10.00hrs, so we pack up our things and say our goodbyes.

So value for money ? In my opinion no,  others may think differently especially if you got young kids-  as it's always busy, but you've basically had a lodge for 3 nights/ 2 days and entry to a pool! everything else is on top of that - I'll think I'll wait another 10 years for the next visit.

We leave Longleat and make our to Exeter to catch up with my daughter, who lives there with her Boyfriend, We are staying at the Courtyard by Marriot  Courtyard just outside Exeter - great views across the countryside from the restaurant on the 8th floor, and a nice comfy room.

 


In the evening we agree to meet up at on the waterfront on the waterfront a quirky pizza stylerestaurant that we had been to many years ago - ( there's a theme running here).


We order the 14 inch "dustbin lid" pizzas to share - huge and tasty. The prices seem to have gone up considerably or maybe I'm just living in the past!




Time to say goodbye , back to the hotel before the 3- 4 hour drive back home, which passes uneventfully just in time for the next adventure to begin.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LHR to MLE ( Maldives ) Jan26

Image
 Our Journey starts mid afternoon on a cold January Sunday, leaving home and arriving after around 45minute journey on the M25 , we had booked Pod Parking as it so much easier and had a good deal , we would have arrived in the 5 minute journey, if it wasn't for me leaving my phone in the car, so back to pod parking and return after retrieving my phone !! Today we're flying business class LHR (19.20hrs) to Male and onto our destination island in the Maldives, with a short stop in Doha. We checked in at the first class check in area, as I hate doing the self serve bag drop, the check in lady was as ever really friendly and efficient as you would expect, then through fast track security which is undergoing a bit of a change at LHR but still really fast and efficient. The gate is not shown yet, so we go to the north club lounge - it's busy, but the food and drink is still on lunch/ tea menu so we fill up, as the meal on board would be another 4 hrs proba...
Read more

Maldives stay - 9 nights in January

Image
 So you'll have maybe read my other Blogs on getting to our Maldives holiday which was from 12th January, so here's an honest opinion of the hotel, staff food and amenities. We were staying at Riu Atoll, which we booked through BA holidays.  Riu Atoll The hotel (s) as there's two sides to the Atoll , guests at the smaller Palace side can go to either side, but guests at the Atoll side can only stay in their side - the Palace side is a lot more expensive but in my view doesn't give you that much extra, apart from private pools and a couple more restaurants, but as the food was a good quality anyway, not sure it 's worth the extra (opinion). The clientele was mostly older and couples, with the occasional young family, but there appeared to be a lot of angst with the families of young children as the activities were very limited for them ( there is a kids club area but it was very stark from what I saw) and basically the pool is the main feature for kids and you are st...
Read more

Edinburgh - Jan 26

Image
So after returning from +30 degrees in the Maldives, what better than to go to other extreme- a quick hop for a couple of days to Edinburgh. Sunday mid morning flight from LHR sees the Usual M25 slow traffic pleasingly missing and 45 mins we arrived to park in Pod parking T5 , a little bit more to park but so much more convenient - 5 minutes and you are in the terminal. Through fast track, and straight into the BA Lounge as the flight is going from gate A1.  I can't remember the last time we used the lounge at this end, It's packed and in my opinion not as nice as the other lounges, seating is quite stark, although the views over the runway are nice.   After the obligatory breakfast  ( not a particular fan of the BA sausages lately - they've obviously changed brand - they are bigger but not as tasty)  After awhile we make our way to gate A1 and are swiftly boarded, although the auto gates don't seem to want to recognise the wife's face - it's usually me with the...
Read more