As any female normally likes the idea of a romantic break away I decided that I wanted to go off to have a break in a log cabin and my fella suggested Center Parcs as he had been a great number of times before and really enjoyed it.
How to Book:- www.centerparcs.co.uk or call 08705200300
Location:- Oasis Whinfell Forest is located just off the M6 on the A66 and is clearly signposted. Upon arrival you drive up the path until you come to the security lodge where you are then directed to the chek-in area where you are welcomed by the Center Parcs staff onto the site. This was amazing the "drive-thru" check-in as it was referred to as was an undercover reception area that you drove your car through and depending upon whether you pre-registered or not you just provided your booking details and were provided with two key cards for entry to your lodge and a car park pass to display on the rear windscreen of your car, along with a map of the Whinfell Forest. *****TOP TIP**** Pre register online www.centerparcs.co.uk/prereg helps reduce your queing time on arrival.
On Sitetime:- Guests are permitted into their lodge at 3.30pm unless you are a VIP guest where you are then permitted to enter from 1pm. Guests are permitted into the village from 10.30am to use the facilities to try and avoid peak entry and exit times into the village which occurs between 2 and 5pm. We arrives at the village just after 1pm and managed to avoid any traffic congestion we completed the smooth check-in process and were parked up in the car park by 1.15pm so we decided to walk around the village and get familiar with the surroundings whilst waiting to enter our lodge at 3.30pm.
Lodges:- The lodge that we were in was located on the beechwood section and yes, you guessed it came complete with a log fire!!! The lodges do not look like the log cabins that we all dream about on a winters evening surrounded by snow they are more like chalets but never the less they are all centrally heated. Once we entered our lodge via the two steps to the left was a toilet and sink and next to that was the utility room which contained an iron and ironing board for use along with a hoover should their be unneccessary spillages and I was pleased to state that there was not the need for any cleaning during the break! The entrance then leads on through a door to the apartment set up which is a table and 4 chairs looking out onto the path way of the village but as the lodge is set off from the main pathway it still offers some seclusion. The kitchen overlooks the dining area and also the seating area which is complete with television and remote control and two ratherlarge coffee tables, the log fire is complete with fire surround to prevent any accidents and the logs for the fire could only be bought from the shop located in the village where a pack of 3 was £8.29 and each log burned for approx 2-3 hours. Just off from the main living area is the master double bedroom complete with wardrobe, cot and bedside table storage adn the bible that is found whenever you stay in paid accommodation!!!! Next to the main bedroom is the master bathroom complete with bath with overhead shower, shower curtain but there is no bath mat so you need to take extra care getting in and out of the bath, there is a heated towel rail in the bathroom to dry and warm the towels before use and plenty of storage space both under the sink and along the units in the bathroom. Next to the bathroom is a twin bedroom which hasthe same features as the master bedroom minus the cot but has equally useful storage space and the wardrobes all come complete with hangers so there is no need to take your own. Overall the accommodation is great value for money as it contains most of the basics needed when you go away. The kitchen includes 3 pans and a frying pan complete with lids, wine glasses, short glasses and tumblers, cutlery, sieve, measuring jug, roasting tin, and plenty of storage for cupboard basics.
Activities:- Center Parcs has plenty of places of interest and has features for all ages although I did feel that it was partcuarly aimed at families with children as we recevied money off vouchers for our stay but they were only valid for families with children so not much point in use for us. There is a sports centre that offers a great range of sports suitable for everyone and if you prebook before you get to Center Parcs you can take advantage of a 10% discount unfortunately not something we did but will take up when we go back in Dec to the Sherwood Forest Center Parcs look out for the future review!!! We did hire a badminton court which was for 45 minutes and cost £6.50 this however did not include the equipment and we had taken our own supplies do avoid any further costs. Outdoor Tennis courts could also be hired along with basketball courts. Tournaments take place daily and are great if you have children and want to keep them entertained for a few hours. Rollerblading takes place indoors with music to blade along to! Upstairs in the sports centre is the sports cafe that served food and refreshments including alcoholic beverages and it is not the lowest of prices, A pint of beer rings up on the till as much as £2.95 and a spirit at £2.35 before adding a splash quite high prices. Food prices vary from £3.95 for a light snack such as a sandwich to £8.95 for a main meal. Located inside the sports centre is also a supply shop selling a range of sporting goods such as clothes and equipment should you need to purchase anything during your visit and are all listed at average sports retail prices. The booking centre is located in the sports hall and all reservations for the sports centre can be made via this booking area but be aware when you make a reservation for a court etc payment is required at time of booking.
Outside the Sports centre are two mini golf courses which retail at £3.30 per adult and £2.20 for children for a 9 hole golf course with a choice of two that do not require to be prebooked although it can get busy and this took approximately 30 mins to get around dependent on how good you are at mini golf.
There are also a great range of the outdoor activities in this area which consists of the abseiling and climbing wall I was not brave enough to try any of the events but they are listed in the online Center Parcs brochure should this be of interest to you.
Inside the Village centre is the World of water which you will see me later refer to as "Waterworld" open 10am- 9pm this has got to be the main attraction for children as there are 3 slides for children over 1m a flume ride which is really fast and you end up in shallow pools at the end of the ride ideal for those who do not enjoy plunging into pools fairly deep. The rapids rides takes you outside of the waterworld and lands you into a pool outside where observers can view as they walk alongside the lake, this is a bit scary for me as it goes really fast and after viewing the empy pool at night realised how dangerous it looks but I can guarantee that this is safe as I went on it myself and it was a really exhilirating ride once I got over the fear! The vertical slide is great and this takes you into a pool of water at the bottom which is fairly deep but was roughly 1m in depth. Spa pools are located around the swimming areas and provide an area of relaxation amongst the thrill of the rides!! Inside is a cafe to gain snacks and drinks during your swim, waves are programmed to come on randomly in the main pool which are great fun especially for young children. Lockers are available for a refundable GBP1.00 deposit
The Boathouse is located by the lake offering a range of watersports pedalos seat up to 4 adults and cost £5 per pedalo for 30 minutes this was one sport we participated in and the weather was great the lake is man made so is not exactly vast but you can see the waterfalls and pass the ducks swimming in the lake which was a relaxing experience. It does get busy so this is one activity I recommend prebooking as it is very popular as are the kayaks which were slightly more expensive with a singe kayak £3.70 and a double kayak £4.80 for 30 mins session life jackets are provided and changing rooms are also located in the boat house.
Aquasana is fantastic for relaxation and was the best experience during the break we invested in the world of spa which is offered at a discounted rate Mon-fri of £22.00 per person and is a totally refreshing experience open 9am -9pm we booked in at 6pm and this allowed us 3 hours in the World of Spa to experience all of the following:- Balinese Multi Steam Bath with the aroma of jasmine, Greek Herbal bath with aromas of camomile, rosemary and sage. Hydrotherapy pool is excellent as the extremely powerful jets great for any tense muscles. The ice fountain is located next to the Tyrolean Sauna which has the aroma of pine and the heat is so intense you can exit with the ice crystals to help circulation. The Indian Blossom room has the aroma of eucamenthol which is an antiseptic quality great for relieveing cold symptoms. Japense salt room has mineral salts and maracuja essence resembling sea air. Lacomium was my favourite steam room as it was not too hot and allowed your body to warm up slowly to stimulate circulation. Turkish Hammam, Spa Pools and reflexology footbaths are also in the World of Spa if there is one activity that you must do it is to book into the World of Sauna it is ultimate relaxation and they even provide you with robe and towels fantastic!!!! Only available to over 16's.
Leisure bowl is located next to the World of Water but is a bit on the pricey side for a game of bowling that lasts 45 minutes but it does include the hire of bowling shoes and was approx £14.95 for 4 adults.
Sights:- There is a lot of wildlife about the lodges as the atmosphere is set in a tranquil forest and each morning there would be rabbits in front of the lodge windows and I got into the habit of feeding them the scraps from our roast dinners which they did appear to enjoy. Red Squirrels were spotted during our stay and the television in the lodge has a dedicated channel set up specially for badger watching needless to say we didnt spot anything..... Take advantage of the Nature walks and the bike trails to see more of the natural sights.
Prices:- Eateries:- Lucianos Italian Restaurant where we ate on our last day was fantastic food and the service was exceptional they served most common italian dishes such as spagetti bolognaise, carbonara, meatballs, pizza and salads and the prices ranged from £2.95 for starters, £4.95-8.95 for a main course and deserts from £2-4 , Yangs Chinese restaurant is located next to the sports hall and although we picked up a leaflet did not venture in but I was extremely tempted by the take out the prices where common to those charged by most eat in chinese restaurants main courses average at £7.95 onwards. Chez Pierre now this was another eaterie that we ventured into located in the village centre serving sandwiches and catering for the children we only made a visit for some refreshements and after 25 minutes we vacated the premises with out how shall I put it "being refreshed" we ordered two smoothies from the kids menu not cheap at £1.75 only to be told 5 minutes after ordering that one of our selections wasnt available nevermind that happens everywhere and we optioned another drink the guys however ordered two pints only to be told 10 mins later that there was a problem with the pumps and they were unable to serve them any kronenburg (their first choice also wasnt available) so we stated that we would leave then as they were unable to provide us with the refreshments we required as we left we received what looked like a glare from the waitress yet we were the customers that had been put out by their lack of supplies! Radina Pradesh Indian Restaurant again another take away option and also eat in with the common prices in most Indian Restuarants Main courses from £8.95 onwards this was located just outside the village centre facing the lake and as we walked past was always full so I would suggest booking a table if you are looking to eat out during your stay. Located next to the Waterworld is a cafe serving small snacks also suitable for children although I did not gain any information on the products being served.
Cost of stay:-£320 for a 3 night stay allowing 4 days on site at Center Parcs in a comfort 2 bedroom logde which has all the basic amenities. Prices vary on time of visit and classification of lodge.
Useful tips:- Depending on your stay you may wish to take a few home comforts with you but this depends on the level of your accommodation we were staying in a two bedroom lodge fri-mon and was in the basic lodges classed as comfort, this means that no maid service is provided and no towels. This was not too much of a problem as we were only there for a short period of time anyway. Oven Gloves, Tea towels are all the basics that are not provided so if you are planning to eat in your own lodge then you are likely to require the following:-
Tea towels Oven Gloves Kitchen Roll Toilet Rolls Towels Washing Up Liquid as only a small sachet is provided although they do provide a dishcloth and brillo pad. There is a supermarket on site also to purchase all the staple goods but we visited the Morrisons in Penrith just 10 minutes away to save us a bit of money on shopping at least forthe basics like bbq ingredients and roasting joints and vegetables.
Center parcs caters for disabled people and also offer wheelchairs and assistance whenever required.
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