Holiday Fun at Hoburne Park

Written by Sarah Cooper

Arriving in Hoburne Park in Christchurch, Dorset was like arriving on the set of a TV holiday advertisement as happy families paraded about and caravans propped up colourful water inflatables and buckets and spades; emphasising the fact that this was a place for the perfect family holiday.  Happy families were scattered around looking like they were heading out on family outings and the environment was immediately peaceful; the only sounds were of happy children’s excited chatter and laughter.  Parents looked serene and children seemed to embrace every activity that was available such as the adventure play area, mini golf and swimming pool with glee.  And this was just first impressions...

Taking in the surroundings my two children were eager to get stuck in and so after investigating the caravan which we all loved and were very impressed with we took a walk around the park.  Our first stop was the main entertainment area which offered something for everyone and was great because you didn’t have to walk far to do everything.  You were greeted with a reception desk where you could find out information on the local area or the activities that were planned for that evening, which were varied and wide-ranging; my youngest son particularly enjoyed the disco and the appearance from Sammy Seahorse.  Also, there was the restaurant where we enjoyed a number of delicious meals and the staff were really polite and particularly friendly to the children.  At the end of our meal we were given chocolates and badges for the children which was a lovely touch. 

Ready for the usual arguments of which son we could entertain first, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Hoburne Park had a fantastic layout which suited us all.  A soft play area for small children was situated directly opposite the amusement arcade.  In between the two you had a seating area which you could sit at with refreshments from the shop.  The soft play area being opposite the amusement arcade meant that my husband could supervise my youngest son, whilst I could play air-hockey and computer games with my oldest son and still be visible to my youngest son which really delighted both children.   This ability to pacify both my sons seemed to last throughout the whole holiday as everything followed suit with the activities being catered for all ages.  The adventure playground offered an area for larger children and smaller ones alike and the same with the pool; designated areas for littler ones and big ones. 

There were activities we didn’t get chance to try out in the park such as the mini-golf, nature trail, gym and range of classes that were available such as Zumba.  So quite literally, whilst staying at the park you can never possibly be at a loss for what to do.  Although, on some evenings we just enjoyed chilling out on the decking of the caravan watching the sun set with a glass of wine whilst the children read their magazines and played with bubble wands.  It was idyllic and in my photo book I have many pictures as evidence of just how lovely this holiday was.

And it’s not just the vast amount of things to do in the park but also being situated in Christchurch, Dorset it meant that we were in a delightful position to make trips to Paultons Park where my son thoroughly enjoyed Peppa Pig World, Adventure Wonderland (a theme park based on Alice in Wonderland) and Monkey World and on our way home we even called in Stonehenge!

This holiday really highlighted what great fun you can have on a holiday in the UK.  The park was meticulously maintained and everything was just perfect.

I’d love to be able to mention some constructive criticism of Hoburne Park but as much as I rack my brains there is nothing I can think of that needs improving.   

After one very successful holiday at Hoburne I now feel that maybe ‘Hoburne’ should be placed in the dictionary as a word meaning constant fun and entertainment as for our entire holiday my two children were never bored.  With the age gap it is often so very hard to satisfy both of them as they have very different interests, but the whole way Hoburne was set out allowed us to have the perfect family holiday. 

Info: Prices would have been £596 to stay in a three-bedroom Gold caravan for a short break (Mon to Fri) from August 8 to 12.

For more information about Hoburne Holiday Parks please visit www.hoburne.com