Living in Northern Ireland, our family trips to Center Parcs in the past have involved taking the ferry across to Scotland and driving down to the Lake District to stay at Whinfell Forest.
With the obligatory comfort stops, it was the best part of a day of travel either side… hard work when the children were very young but always worth it for the fun we had at Whinfell! However, when the news broke in 2015 that Center Parcs would be building a family resort in Ireland, we were beside ourselves with excitement. The excitement soon died down though when we realised it could be another four years before it would open!
Team Thompson couldn’t wait that long for their next Center Parcs fix so we started to explore other options. With a bit of extra planning, we ditched the ferry in favour of some budget flights and opted for a stay at Woburn Forest last spring. I met my best pal, Christine, many moons ago when we started the same course at uni together in Edinburgh. We shared flats on and off for 15 years, all over the UK, before she settled down in Livingston and I returned home to Northern Ireland for work. Now, with partners and kids in tow, we try to meet up annually and the Woburn trip seemed like an ideal opportunity… both families flew into Luton and caught the train from the airport to Flitwick Station (10 per cent discount on rail tickets for guests) where a Center Parcs shuttle bus collected us all. The bus service runs every 30 minutes during the day and the journey to Woburn is about seven minutes.
Woburn Forest has the same warmth and charm as Whinfell… except it’s a lot shinier, having only opened its doors in 2014 (Whinfell Forest resort first opened in 1997 and was later bought by Center Parcs in 2002). Woburn is nestled in the heart of the Bedfordshire countryside, just an hour from London, and although the surrounding woodland isn’t quite as mature as Whinfell, we still found ourselves spotting plenty of wildlife from the moment we checked in to our lodge. For this trip we had booked a four bedroom Executive Lodge for both families to share.
The accommodation was top-notch, spread over two floors with spectacular views across the Parc from the first floor open-plan living room and kitchen. A small garden to the rear housed a BBQ area and our own private sauna (which was put to good use at the end of each day’s activities!). At Whinfell we usually brought our own bikes but having flown this time, we had pre-booked bikes for everyone. Once we had dropped our bags, it was off to the Cycle Centre to get measured up and kitted out. If you haven’t experienced Center Parcs before, then it’s important to know that cars are only allowed down to the lodges on arrival and departure. The rest of the time, the Parcs are vehicle free so bicycles are the preferred mode of transport for most. Remember, the restaurants, cafes, lodges, Aqua Sana Spa, Subtropical Swimming Paradise and multitude of activities are spread over 400 acres!
We had booked in for a long weekend, Friday to Monday, and had organised our bicycle hire, a few activities for all of us and some evening meals in advance online… not to mention a little pamper treat for the mums on the Monday morning! Each day began with us heading to the pool en masse and hurtling down water slides for an hour or so in a very pleasant 29 degrees. While the kids then spent the afternoons decorating cupcakes or swinging off high ropes and zip wires, the adults had fun on quad bikes and segways. My biggest dilemma at Center Parcs is always deciding what to do! All ages are spoilt for choice with a range of activities that seem to expand year on year. On previous trips the kids have been Nature Detectives, tried Mini Jet Skis, enjoyed Pirate and Princess Parties and become Chocolate Chefs while Stuart and I have kayaked, cycled and swam to our heart’s content… we’ve also enjoyed lots of family time together from Den Building to Geocaching.
All tastes are catered for too when it comes to dining out. Although the lodges are self-catering and there’s a supermarket on site, we opted to dine out each evening as we were on holiday after all! Huck’s American Bar and Grill satisfied our hearty appetites on our first night while also providing an indoor play area for the kids to continue to let off steam. The following night saw us tucking into pizza at Bella Italia while we saved the family favourite, The Pancake House, for our last evening. While the dads headed back to the pool for a final morning of waterslides with the kids, Christine and I skipped to the Aqua Sana Spa for our Elemis Brighten and Glow treatments (a facial with warm Frangipani oil and a hot stones massage). Bliss… and the perfect way to finish a fun-packed weekend of catching up with best friends! Another 12 months on from our Woburn trip and at long last, Longford Forest is now open for bookings!
From Friday 23rd August onwards, guests can enjoy an Irish Center Parcs experience. Home to the country’s biggest water park, 470 lodges, 30 apartments and over 100 indoor and outdoor activities, it looks set to bring all of the brand’s usual warmth and charm to Ballymahon.
Team Thompson are looking forward to abandoning ferries, planes and trains, loading the bikes onto the car and heading south this year… hopefully see you there!
FACTBOX
Getting there – Belfast to Longford Forest Center Parcs, approx. 2.5hrs drive. Prices – Family Breaks start from 529 Euro for a weekend break (Fri to Mon) and 299 Euro for a mid-week break (Mon to Fri). Booking Info – centerparcs.ie
