Holidaying at Center Parcs aged mid twenties and without children... (Center Parcs)

Member Name: MarieHHH

Product:	Center Parcs
Date:	13/06/09 (270 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lots of fun, more active holiday than usual, did activities we wouldn't normally do

Disadvantages: all food on site is a bit generic, can get a bit expensive to do everything you want to

Setting the scene:
Couple in mid twenties, had a spare five days off, found a good deal to go and stay at Center Parcs Elveden forest so decided they'd buy some new tracksuits, embrace their inner child and have an active holiday.

The accommodation:
We stayed in the Lakeview Hotel. The room was clean, of average size (definitely not cramped) but could have done with a lick of paint. In terms of facilities in the room there was a TV, a stereo (complete with tape player!), digital alarm clock, a kettle and a fridge. The bathroom had 2 sinks, a fairly powerful shower and the usual bath and toilet. The décor was quite non-descript.

The food:
Since the hotel accommodation has no cooking facilities we ended up trying almost all of Center Parcs food options. The Sports Café (in the main sports center) did good basic food - burgers, pies, that kind of thing - at reasonable prices, all served on plates reminiscent of those school dinners came on. The Pancake House did do delicious pancakes and waffles, but not sure I'd class it as filling enough to be a main meal. Café Rouge came up trumps with a fabulous steak frites, and Bella Italia was very much as any Bella Italia is - filling, but with a slightly pre-heated in microwave feel about the food. The Forrester Inn, a little walk away from the rest in next to the Spa, marketed itself as a gastro pub and did indeed produce average gastro-pub type food at realistic prices, although there wasn't a great range. The Indian restaurant, Rajinda Pradesh, was the only real disappointment - very expensive for what it was, and the food was utterly generic - despite us picking 2 curries which would usually taste completely different, in Rajinda Pradesh they were pretty much the same and the sag aloo, usually my favourite side dish, came drowned in a sweet chutney (?!) The other 2 eateries were Hucks, an American style diner which appeared to be similar to sports café but slightly more expensive, and Made, a sandwich bar.

The activities:
Once the glossy brochure dropped through the door Mr H was like an excitable child picking all the things he wanted to do. In the end we did:
- the adrenaline high ropes - this involved climbing up on high ropes and beams outside in the woods while you were tied into a safety harness and the instructor tried to distract you from just how far outside your comfort zone you were. Ended with climbing up a 10 metre high telegraph pole, standing on a tiny platform at the top and making a 'leap of faith' for a trapeze bar. Utterly terrifying and exhilarating in equal measures. Price depends on time you do it at - early morning is cheaper, and you'll have less passing witnesses if you're like me and end up whimpering several metres up in the air. Lasts for around 2 hours.
- Action challenge - very similar to a short version of 'go ape', essentially climbing through treetops via a selection of bridges, ropes and nets, and then descending via a zip wire. Lots of fun but again a head for heights is needed! Around £23 and takes about 15 to 20 minutes
- Rollerbooting - an indoor activity, boots and safety equipment provided and by center parcs standards a bargain activity at £4.50 for an hour.
- Badminton - another indoor option, remember that racquet and shuttlecock hire is extra so take your own if you have them (although if not its not very expensive, about £1 a racquet)
- Waterrollaz - I'd always had a desire to go in a hamster ball and this gave me the chance to. You get put in an inflatable 'wheel' and spend five minutes experiencing the frustration a hamster must as you discover you can't really go anywhere and if you stop you fall over. Costs £5 for 5 minutes, which I found was more than enough time to feel pity for my furry friends!
- Adventure golf - about £5 and very disappointing - no real ups or downs or gutters and fun bits, more like pitch n putt with a few models scattered around. However, there were bits of children's play equipment scatter between the holes to keep little ones entertained if there are queues, which was a nice touch.
- Wakeboarding - £30 for 1 hour or £40 for 2, requires a higher level of fitness than we anticipated!
There were also the 'free' activities:
- the tropical swimming pool - 2 different slides, plus an indoor rapids, plus a wave pool, plus an outdoor salt pool - enough for a few hours entertainment at least
- the evening disco - hmm, yes. The disco. Very school-disco-esque
- lots and lots of play areas for children - made me very jealous that I was neither under 12 or under 1.2m!

The staff:
The staff were invariably helpful and friendly, honestly couldn't fault them and helped make the holiday great.

The Spa:
Excellent! See review in the spa section if you're interested.

Overall:
Center parcs is obviously very family orientated but has enough to keep people in their 20s/30s without children amused if you a) have the money to do all the activities you'd like to and b) have the tolerance to cope with lots of short humans running around! It definitely made for a fun and different holiday, but I might wait until I have children before going back again.

**also posted on ciao under the same name**

Summary: A fun, active holiday