I recently went to Haven in Ayr for the weekend. I have been nefore and the park I chose is called Craig Tara which is an all action park, this means that there is loads to do and it gets pretty busy so not recommended for a quiet break.
My hubby and I were fed up and needed a holiday so I looked them up on the website WWW.havenholidays.co.uk and found the bargain break section and phoned them up. The salesman was very helpful but all the week long breaks were already taken. I was willing to go anywhere as long as it was an all action park but all that was left was weekends. Not wanting to travel to Scarbough just for three days we opted of the one in Ayr which is just 40 minutes from our home. Doesn't sound like much of a break but we were just wanting to get away. This was on the Thursday and the salesman informed us that there was a weekend available the next day for £153.50 quite expensive for a weekend but most of the facilities are free such as swimming etc.
We arrived at 4pm the next day after frantic arrangements to look after the house, dog etc
and packing which is not easy with a baby and toddler who unpacks thing a quick as you pack them.
We drove into reception and was handed a welcome pack and our caravan keys and a map of where our caravan was located. I as a bit dubious of staying in a caravan as all the ones I had stayed in before were smelly and cramped but this was great and most important clean. I was quite roomy with a double room and two room each with two single beds you could also sleep two other folk in the lounge so it was big enough for eight people.
The site itself.
I'll start with the free activities, Swimming, they have a large fun pool with flumes and slides and it is great for the kids but not for serious swimmers and it is free apart fom 20p for your locker. there are always plenty of trained lifeguards on hand to watch the kids don't get into difficulty. Kids clubs: There are a number of kids clubs, Paws from 1-4 where the younger kids get to paint and play with jigsaws etc and they have shows for them like punch and judy. Tiger club: this is for kids aged between 5-12 and is good fun they entertain the kids all week long with a full programme of activities. TCo club: this is for teenagers I have no idea what they do here as they said I was too old to join boo hoo! but I take it that they play music and have dancing comps and things like that.
Pubs and bars: There are 4 bars on site which you need a pass to get into which comes in your welcome pack. Bonga Wonga, What a stupid name but this is the one mainly for kids as the tiger club meets in here with resident entertainer Uncle Billy. Atlantic Showbar: This is mainly for teenagers as the entertainment is a bit older with teenage games such as passing the oranges from chin to chin that kind of stuff nothing to risque. Dixsis; This is where they play the bingo Yea ha! and is mainly for adults although children are welcome (not to play bingo just to be there) Western bar: If you are lucky enough to get a baby sitter and are fed up with the kids running about then this is the place for you as there are no kids alowed under 14. Prices are quite steep in all the bars £2.50 for a pint of lager and £2.75 for a breezer.
Other activites: There is a large adventure playground which my three year old loved and a huge sports complex where you can play football etc.
Activities you pay for: Go carts which a favourite of my hubby's and it cost £3 for a single car or £4 for a double which he took our eldest on. Bouncy castle, £1 for 15min which is excellent value Crazy golf £1 but you can win a free game at the last hole so you could be there all day. Amusements; What worried me was the kids were playing the machines too and they suck all your money so avoid these at all costs. Pool; 50p a game good value and full sized tables.
They also have a hire shop where you can hire kids buggies cots and even an iron and ironing board. Prices are reasonable and you need something with your home adress and a £5 deposit.
The site is very clean and have security on hand for and trouble that may occur which is seldom.
Although there is plenty to do inside the park there are a number of places to visit nearby such as a farm 200 yards to the right. Prices for this are £4.50 for adults and £3.50 for kids over three. You can spend the whole day here as there are plenty of things to do such as quad biking and pony trekking as well as feeding the animals, they have a snack bar which sells burgers etc at resonable prices. Loudoun castle is only 15 minutes away and I can't recommend it highly enough (see previous op) There is aslo a market in Ayr on a Sunday at the racecourse with a combined car boot sale and is always worth a look for seeking out those bargains. I could go on and on about places of interest around the site but there are simply too many to list but full details are available on the site.
I would recommend that if you are to go you should go for at least a week as we found it hard to fit everything in in three days as there is simply so much going on.
Oh yes nearly forgot Food; If you are self catering there are plenty of places to eat onsite such as harry ramsdens at low prices and a burger bar which is expensive, sells crap food so avoid at all costs. there is also a diner a bit similar to brewers fayre with similar prices but the food is great and service speedy with a smile.
If you are looking for a great holiday with the kids and haven't booked anything yet why not ckeck out what Haven have to offer.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Advantages: Excellent staff, very friendly and helpful. Good entertainment Disadvantages: Can be pricey if you like the amusements. Lots of energy needed for the hills.
Aug 3rd, 2001
very helpful by (98%):
helpful by (2%):
