New Year, new holiday
As the bells chime out to welcome in the New Year many people will be glad to wave goodbye to 2011 and look forward to a year that holds plenty of treats in store - whatever the state of the economy!
Haven Holidays, who have 35 family holiday parks around the coast of Britain, have drawn up their own list of top tips for having a good time in 2012 – based on feedback from customers as well as their own observations and plans.
1. Head to the seaside.
Our love affair with the coast and the benefits of fresh air, sand and sea continues to thrive. If you haven’t felt the sand between your toes for a while make 2012 the year you fall back in love with the Great British seaside.
2. Fall back in love with your family.
Feedback from customers showed that parents and kids alike just want to spend more quality time together. It’s not about the ‘wow’ factor it’s about the ‘now’ factor, just easy relaxed family fun away from the stresses of everyday life.
3. Teach the kids something new.
Something easy – that you learned as a kid. How to skim stones, the best way to catch a crab or how to build a boat out of sand and sit in whilst the sea washes it away. Or a simple game of beach cricket.
4. Do your bit to save the planet.
If you’re booking a UK break that’s a good carbon-friendly start. Haven are very proud of their eco-credentials: ALL their parks have Conservation Awards and 32 hold Green Tourism for Business Awards. Haven’s Wildlife Detective programme will encourage children to discover more about the local environment too!
5. Celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee
Sixty years on the throne is worth a party! Bake a cake, wave your flags and enjoy an extra days holiday. And do you know what? Many of Haven’s parks have been around even longer than the Queen and they’re celebrating too – with a bit of nostalgia and a chance to see just how caravan holidays have changed over the decades.
6. Go swimming.
Actually it’s not just about swimming – it’s more about having a splashalastic time in the water. Whether it’s rolling up your trousers and jumping over waves, pulling on your wetsuit and enjoying the Cornish surf or having watery fun indoors on flumes, slides, space-bowls, rapids and lazy rivers, Aqua Gliders and Aqua Jets or climbing inside a Water Walker.
7. Enjoy the Olympics
In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a massive sporting event taking place in Britain in 2012. Watch it on big screens at Haven parks and if it motivates you to get up and moving yourself then there’s plenty on offer. Football. Fencing. Archery. Golf. Swimming. Climbing and abseiling. Tennis. Even horse-riding, fishing and Haven’s ever popular Character Sports Day with Rory the Tiger.
8. Don’t get stressed if it rains!
Sometimes it just does. But if you’ve packed your wellies and waterproofs you can have fun jumping in puddles and look forward to snuggling up in your caravan with a hot drink. And there’s plenty going on inside at Haven with kids’ clubs, daytime entertainment and indoor activities – not to mention the swimming pools where you can get wet whatever the weather!
9. Let your hair down and join in with the entertainment.
Party dances, pantos, stage-shows, music, dancing and comedy. It’s all good family fun and these days, when most entertainment comes via a screen, a holiday park is a wonderful way for all ages to enjoy a night out together. Make the most of it!
10. Don’t spend more than you need to.
Take advantage of early booking deals and you know you’ll have something to look forward to at the best possible price. At the moment you can book a whole week in the summer holidays for less than £500 for a family of up to six.
For more information about Haven Holidays, visit haven.com.
