Hidden in the beautiful New Forest in Hampshire is Sandy Balls, part of the Away Resorts offering. Passing the wild horses on the road, Sandy Balls is tucked within the woodland and didn’t disappoint. Sandy Balls offers a variety of well-kept accommodation with excellent facilities and activities for all ages. Centred around a main entertainment area including bars, shops, soft play and bike hire, there really isn’t any reason to leave the site with its indoor swimming pool handy for those wet days. There are playgrounds tucked around every corner which makes for an exciting adventure with little ones in tow.

 

We arrived as a group of 8 - 3 adults and 5 children in the middle of a storm - however our accommodation was well equipped to keep us entertained for our long weekend with 2 bathrooms and a large living space to wait out the wind and the rain. Checking in was very easy: pulling up outside the front of the reception building and collecting the keys, maps, and the entertainment passes. The staff were helpful with showing where the caravan was and were on hand for the whole of our stay. We were able to park outside the accommodation which made it handy to unload the car, and keep an eye on the kids!

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The first evening of our arrival we headed over to the restaurant. To the rear of the building was an entertainment venue with a stage and bar, which allowed us adults the opportunity to have a gin while the kids were engaged in the evenings activities of dancing competitions and the disco. With 5 kids in tow, we were able to see the kids at all times which meant we really could kick back and relax. 

 

As the weather was so awful we made use of the swimming pool. Sandy Balls offers timed bands which meant the swimming pool was never overcrowded, and a great tip is to get in the queue early to avoid disappointment. 

 

The following day we had booked bikes for the kids but Storm Dennis was so furious it put an end to that plan. Sandy Balls refunded all of our money without question. We still got out with the bigger kids to play Nerf Wars and the younger ones did slime-making. With a trip to the penny arcade, our day was complete. We ate out in the restaurant in the evening and played some silly games in the entertainment area with the Away Resort Animation Team. Storm Dennis didn’t spoil our fun or the memories that were made.

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Sandy Balls: great location, great staff, great service and something for everyone!