I’ll be completely honest here and admit that 4 or 5 years ago I would have rather gone on holiday anywhere than a caravan park. In my head it wasn’t somewhere I would enjoy and it wasn’t somewhere I ever wanted to go. Then Erin came along and my ideas about holidays changed completely. We went on our first Haven holiday in 2018 where we stayed at Caister-on-Sea and we then went back again in 2019 to Seashore. We actually loved Seashore so much that we have booked again for a holiday in 2020 just before the summer holidays.
Now that I am a Haven holiday convert, I wanted to share some of the reasons why we, as a family, love it so much.
Locations
As a family who doesn’t drive we are usually quite limited to where we can go on holiday. We have to rely on public transport or taxis so we usually don’t venture too far. Luckily, in Norfolk we have 4 different Haven sites. We do have to get a bus to all of them and then a taxi to 3 of them but it’s an easy journey and only takes about an hour. There are still 2 Haven sites that we haven’t been to yet (Hopton and Wild Duck) but we definitely hope to in the future.
Swimming
As part of a Haven holiday you get access to the swimming pool and it’s included in the price. The swimming pools are very different from park to park and so far, we have preferred the pool at Seashore. This was given a complete overhaul in 2019 though so it’s brand new and fantastic for children. The various splash areas and slides were great for Erin and there was also a separate bigger pool as well. The pool at Caister-on-Sea isn’t nearly as exciting though and I would say that one is better for older children and adults. It’s worth looking into the kind of pool available before booking your break.
Food
Whenever we go away we always like to try and eat out at least a couple of times. We don’t generally go for many meals out when we’re at home so we like to make the most of it while we’re on holiday. John actually said recently that one of the things he looks forward to the most about holidays is the food.
We’ve stayed at 2 different Haven locations so far and we have loved the food both times even though they were very different. Haven Seashore has a brand new restaurant for 2019 and their rotisserie chicken is the best I’ve ever had. Both Haven locations had Papa John’s pizza which is delicious and some have chip shops or Burger Kings. It’s nice to be able to go for a sit down meal or have a pizza delivered to your accommodation!]
Free activities
One of the things I love about Haven is that there is so much for children to do. While not all of them are, there are plenty of free activities to choose from and they are easily booked via the app or at the park. We haven’t done too much yet as Erin has always been happy to swim or play at the park or beach. Last time we were at Seashore we were able to take part in an arts and crafts session that was completely free and Erin got to make her very own crown! Next time we go to Haven Erin will be 4 so there will be a lot more that she can do.
Shows for children
Something Erin particularly loves the most about holidays to Haven are the shows. On most mornings there is at least 1 show on in the Live Lounge for younger children. Each time we have been to Haven we have made a point of making time to go and see these. Erin asks to go back and see the elephant or the monkey quite often and she remembers seeing certain shows from our previous holidays. Again, these are free activities for children and it’s great to get them up dancing, singing and playing with other children.
We particularly loved our holiday to Haven Seashore earlier this year that we booked to go again almost immediately. The Haven website often has great offers and sales to be sure to look out for those. If you have children under 5 who aren’t yet at school you can get some really amazing prices outside of school holidays. I have just booked a break in March 2020 and it only cost £75 for 4 nights for 3 adults and a child in deluxe accommodation!
We have had a couple of really lovely holidays at Haven before – for all the above reasons!
I’ve never experienced a Haven Holiday but would love to. I remember doing a caravan holiday with my parents when I was young and it was such an adventure that I think my son would life it.
I’ve taken Amelia on a trip to Butlins and we all had so much fun. Haven sounds familiar but more locations available. Great options for families tho.
We did do many of these when my kids were younger, they loved it and I love how much there was to do for them
We have been on 4 Haven holidays over the years, the one in Berwick Northumberland is my favourite and there is a train station (the east coast mainline) right outside the site and it is perfect for a visit to Edinburgh. Haven holidays are ideal for young kids, I think we are going to try and get a little mini-break there later next year as our main holiday is in May xx
Love Haven – been to several and loved them all ( except one !) . My son is an only child so they are great to keep him entertained and meet friends