A child of the sixties, I grew up in a world of music and aircraft mechanics. I now work as an IT C...
A child of the sixties, I grew up in a world of music and aircraft mechanics. I now work as an IT Consultant and play jazz and classical music on several saxes, clarinet and violin. I also run a big band, mybigband.com in the North of England.
Member since:23.08.2004
Reviews:12
Many of us choose to holiday abroad in order to escape the unpredictable British weather, which of course plays a major part in our decision when choosing a holiday destination. But if you could find a place to go with just around 2 hours travelling where you could escape from the stresses and strains of daily life and do as little or as much as you wanted, with a large choice of dining options, then you've found your Oasis.
Now owned by Centerparcs, Oasis, Whinfell Forest, near Penrith in the Lake District is a wonderful place to spend a few fun filled days away from home.
Set in the Cumbrian countryside, close to the M6/A66 intersection (M6 Junction 40), the location is extremely peaceful, interrupted only by the sudden roar of occasional low flying fighter jets and the persistent clap of thunder.
Breaks are typically Monday to Friday or Friday to Monday, though you can stay as long as you want by adding the cost of breaks together.
Accommodation is in well appointed 'chalets' which offer typically 3 or 4 bedrooms, shower room, bathroom / WC, separate WC , hallway
and open plan dining room / kitchen / lounge. Some chalets have two bedrooms upstairs but most are single storey. The accommodation is well heated and spacious.
On your first day you can arrive as early as you like and check in through the drive-through check-in desks. As you can't get into your accommodation until 3pm when they have been cleaned, you park your car in the car park, hire bikes if required and explore the centre, usually heading straight for the 'World of Water' in the butterfly centre. The latter is a huge covered village centre with a supermarket, take-away food outlets, cinema, showroom, bars, restaurants, kids club, shops, cash till, games arcade and bowling alley. Also present is the entrance to the World of Water.
In addition to the Butterfly Centre is a lake, providing a range of exciting water sports, a traditional pub and a large and well equipped sports centre with and incredible range of indoor and outdoor sports.
After 3pm you can drive your car to your accommodation and unpack, returning the car to the car park. The rest of the time, the entire village is a peaceful forest with no motor vehicles allowed. With over a thousand chalets each housing a typical family or two , it is surprising just how peaceful the setting is.
If there isn't enough to do in the village, then there are other activities available nearby such as golf, pony trekking, clay pigeon shooting, paintball, quad biking etc.
The World of Water is surely the most used facility; a huge expanse of tropically heated pools, slides, waterfalls and rapids providing a varied and exciting time for people of all ages. Particularly worthy of note is the facilities for very young children which is subtly separated from the rest of the areas. There are whirlpools, wave machines and areas of differing temperatures.
I have visited Oasis many times at various times of year in all weathers. At Oasis, it really doesn't matter what the weather is doing and I find it most enjoyable in the depth of the winter when the frost settles on the branches of the trees, fog closes in the atmosphere adn the drizzle barely reaches you through the thickness of the trees.
Since Oasis became Centreparcs however, prices have increased making a peak season 5 day break up to around £800. For this though you can sleep up to 8 people so it is good value for money.
The dining experience is exceptional with an excellent Italian restaurant that is however always understaffed and very busy. There is a particularly good Indian restaurant, wonderful Chinese and many more excellent restaurants. Pleasingly, Prices are no worse than the high street. On the downside, the delicatessen and baked potato takeaways have been replaced with a Burger King. The supermarket is well stocked and considerately priced with the ability to have your shopping delivered for free so on arrival, you can go shopping, then swimming and get to your chalet to find all your shopping waiting for you. You can even pre-order your shopping before you arrive.
Entertainment is good with dynamic performances of song and dance in the Green Room, though if like me, you go once or twice a year, these can be a little repetitive.
Again on the downside, the accommodation is starting to become dilapidated, with furniture in need of replacement, taps dripping and inventory missing.
You must vacate your accommodation by 10am on departure day but you can stay in the village as long as you like.
Overall, this is a wonderful holiday destination with a stupid amount of things to do, tremendous levels of peace and tranquillity and a naturists delight. The weather really does not matter and, if you take the trouble to plan ahead, booking activities in advance, your time spent at Oasis will be fun, relaxing and great value for money.
There are far too many facilities to list and the centre is peaceful enough for those who wish to take it easy but has activities too numerous to mention for those who wish to use them. Oasis have really made this an all-in-one holiday centre suitable for everyone and it is let down only by the high prices and confusing on-site booking processes where you have to visit a number of different desks to book activities. In addition it is not possible to book tables in most restaurants.
Tips: Don’t worry about the time of year. The weather really doesn’t matter. Book your activities 2 weeks before your holiday. You can do this on line. Try to arrive before lunchtime on your first day to avoid queues and make more use of the facilities. Ask for a refurbished chalet. You need to pay extra to choose your chalet but this request should be no extra charge. Book well in advance to avoid disappointment as Oasis is becoming extremely busy.
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Great review but why would you want to go to the lake district and book all your activities in a CenterParcs "dome"? There's acres of some of the finest national park England has to offer just minutes drive from the place... Of course, I could just be gutted that I never knew it existed before - thanks for the pointer. Sam.
ElizaF 13.09.2004 01:06
Have re-read and I have to ask; did you really mean to call this a "naturists" delight ?
ElizaF 12.09.2004 23:05
Hi there and sorry for the lower than average rating but this really needs to be spell-CHEEKED because the standard of SPEELING really detracts from what you are trying to say (see what I MEN?) E.
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Sep 12th, 2004
(Sep 13th, 2004)
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