Centre Parcs, with its award-winning network of holiday villages set in acres of stunning forest, is a hit with families nationwide. However, with prices during the school holidays being exceptionally high, it could feel like you need to really stretch your budget just to take the kids away. For instance, a four-night break at Centre Parcs Sherwood Forest for two adults and two children in August would cost you £1,399.
While many families flock to the popular destination each year for a turn on the world-famous rapids, it's a luxury not everyone can afford. Luckily, savvy travellers have found a budget-friendly alternative in Yorkshire at the Sand le Mere Holiday Village. An independently run holiday haven on the East Yorkshire Coast, it offers a wealth of facilities including an indoor swimming pool, gym, entertainment programme, restaurants and bars.
READ MORE: 'I took £20 to cheap UK seaside town - it covered a day out for my family of five' Surrounded by stunning countryside and sandy beaches, a four-night stay for a family of four would cost £429 at the time of publication. That's a £970 saving compared to Centre Parcs, meaning families can enjoy all of the fun for a fraction of the price. Packed to the brim with excitement, kids and adults alike can dive into a world of entertainment including arcades, live performances, and an action-packed activity zone, reports Yorkshire Live .
At the Sand le Mere Holiday Village the great outdoors morphs into an adventure wonderland, featuring everything from whimsical golf rounds to fishing escapades. There are also stunning views over Tunstall beach and day-trippers have easy access to nearby seaside haunts like Hornsea, Filey, and Scarborough. The holiday hotspot is racking up rave reviews on TripAdvisor, with over 200 five-star shout-outs singing its praises.
Nicola S, was full of high spirits about her visit when she left a review saying "Great place for families. Great outdoor and indoor play area for the kids. Booked again for next year.
" Another visitor called Becs added: "We have just stayed for a weekend at Sand Le Mere. After reading some of the reviews I was a little apprehensive but honestly we loved it. We paid £139 for Friday-Monday and it was well worth the money, our caravan was lovely and modern, clean and well equipped.
Just a couple of minutes walk to the bar/restaurant/pool." A third happy camper said: "We took our 7-month-old and he loved the pool and sensory room. The children's entertainment was good and bingo etc later on.
"My only criticism is I don't feel like they advertise things well, we didn't know about the bingo (we overheard a couple talking about it in the bar), nothing telling you what time the show bar opens, what time food is served till etc but all we had to do was ask, all staff were very welcoming and friendly. We've already been online looking to book to come back in a few weeks." Another content visitor, Wavey55, entitled his feedback 'a great little find', they said: "Eight of us visited over two caravans.
We didn't pay much and were pleasantly surprised after seeing some bad reviews. The caravans were clean and tidy (3-bed gold plus, no pets). "It's a compact site with everything in close walking distance.
Swimming pool - decent sized, clean and warm with plenty of lockers. You get 45-minute slots, just turn up 10 mins before and despite the queue you'll get in. "Beach - we loved the beach.
It's a 5-minute walk but is not easily accessible as there's a small drop. We just left the pushchair at the top. It's golden, sandy and quiet.
No shops or bars, just a peaceful and perfect to let the kids play. No toilets but can pop to site toilets in 10 mins. "Food/drink - we only ate pizza as we went out but were all happy with it.
Fresh and tasty in a proper pizza oven. Good selection of drinks in the bar and normal prices for a caravan site. The bars are well-presented and look great.
Toilets weren't very clean but passable most of the time. "Entertainment - it was good enough, the kids were happy and they had bands on Friday and Saturday. There's a small soft play area for the kids and a nice arcade for the older ones.
"Our only negative experience was the entertainment was far too loud early on. Three of the four kids in the party cried and had to leave two out of three nights. I like loud but this was too much even for me.
It would be better if they could keep the volume down a bit until 8pm then turn it up for the adults. Most people we spoke to said the same. Overall a small but pleasant site which we'd visit again.
".
