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| Harry loving the Siblu pool. |
The Loire Valley is gorgeous - full of tree-lined avenues, historic towns and stores crammed with local produce.
Our Siblu Holiday at Domaine de Dugny in France promised to be relaxing and enlightening but first we had to get our heads around the idea of a caravan holiday with a 10 month old wrecker. Safety was important as we have the sort of lad who can crawl into an empty padded cell and crawl out 30 seconds later clutching a broken porcelain duck’s beak and a half eaten snail. For Harry the caravan was perfect - neat, clean, comfortable and safe.
We didn’t know what to expect from our caravan, but found that the space was quite impressive with a lounge/kitchen area, three bedrooms, a toilet and a shower room. On top of this we’d pre-ordered a cot so (with a sofa-bed in the lounge) in theory the caravan could have slept seven. In any case the families we talked to with two or three kids pointed out that most of their time was spent outside. For this the caravan alone offered a copious, covered deck which contained loungers, four chairs and a table enabling us to eat outside every night, twice using the free barbeque. On top of this each caravan has plenty of land which, allied to numerous play areas, means that the chances of being crammed into a small space with three fractious kids evaporates.
In fact one of the best things about the Siblu site was the amount of wide open spaces it afforded. In particular our site had fantastic swimming pool facilities, with four different pools for varying age groups. The largest had slides and a whirlpool effect that threw the kids around a few bends in the pool. This is a fabulous area, especially because at approximately 5 o’clock every afternoon the breeze died and the entire site was relocated seventy eight miles closer to the sun. Again, space is the real bonus with loads of room around the pool for lounging, reading and watching your kids as they are flung about happily. This spread-out nature of the park contributes hugely to the general tranquil air of the site which is quiet in a family orientated way. One negative was that the pools shut at 6.30 in the evening (presumably in order to staff the evening activities) because it would have been nice if the pools had stayed open into the cool of the evening.
The evening activities themselves were varied: quizzes, a Wizard of OZ Singalong, and even a giant screen for the European Cup, but these are limited as far as the older age range goes. There are three free kids clubs: Bubbles for years 1-4, Pirate Club for 5-9 and Barracudas for 10-14. These look great, with a whole range of activities but once you get past 14 the options become more limited. Most of the kids on the site were early teens and seemed occupied but later teens would probably be bored with the confinement. The rentable go-carts and bikes would counter this slightly but older teens might still find the site a little limited.
We arrived late on a Sunday and so were forced into reliance on the site facilities, in particular the shop and restaurant, which we found to be good although a little expensive. There were a few nice touches here too though, such as the ability to order bread the night before to ensure you wake up to fresh croissants or French-sticks and English language papers. In any case, by exploring the area we discovered a supermarket less than 5 minutes drive away so the shop is handy rather than essential. The site is pretty safe though, with locked gates blocking unauthorized cars and the relatively isolated position in the middle of the Loire Valley doing the rest.
Overall this was a relaxing and highly enjoyable holiday focusing specifically on families and giving parents the right amount of space to allow their kids freedom whilst grabbing a little peace at the same time. The region is beautiful and the site sits in a prime position to explore the many attractions. We had a lovely time on our first trip abroad with Harry and we wouldn’t hesitate before exploring other sites offered by Siblu.
by
Dave Fouracre
Dad to Tom and Harry
June 2009
For an extra 5% discount on the already discounted Siblu site prices, quote code BABY10 at checkout.
Siblu offer great family holidays at great prices to France, Spain and Italy. Siblu holiday parcs are amongst the best in France, and they also work with a range of hand-picked Siblu selection parcs in France, Italy and Spain. The Siblu parks are packed with outstanding facilities, from luxurious mobile home holiday accommodation to 3 FREE kids' clubs, sports pitches and fantastic restaurants.
To find out more, please visit www.siblu.com
For an extra 5% discount on the already discounted Siblu site prices, quote code BABY10 at checkout.
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Bluestone Wales
