Loose the crowds and enjoy what the forest can offer (New Forest)

Member Name: kinghead_s

Product:	New Forest
Date:	04/03/09 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Most it can be free!!

Disadvantages: Lots of tourists in high season

The New Forest is situated on the Southern coast of England. It has many areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), sites of specific scientific interest (SSSI) and is now a National Park. If you visit the New Forest you will find roaming ponies, cattle and in pannage season - pigs!!!

I'm perhaps lucky enough to live in the beautiful New Forest. Like most people who live in touristy hot spots we probably never appreciate what people are coming for, but really enjoy the hidden treasures that a visitor would never find.

The New Forest does have a lot to offer for both holiday makers and those who live there. It is unique situated close to the sea and has a thriving yachting community along the coastal towns of Lymington, Beaulieu and nearby Christchurch. The coastal leg of the New Forest runs onto the Solent which separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland and is a magnet for leisure sailors and yachties a like.

The New Forest is not only forest as the name suggests, it has many square miles of heathland and moor. It is quite flat so makes cycling and hiking a great pastime. Many lanes in the forest have very little traffic and if you choose the right route you will see few cars. The Forestry Commision also have a fantastic network of gravel tracks in many of the inclosures. You can fairly easily find your way around the main forest areas without too much use of the roads.

The Foresty Commission also have a few flagship car parks and tourist spots, these are very popular in summer. My advice would be to stray just a little further for a bit of piece and quite.

The main tourist villages are that - for tourists. Personally I wouldn't bother visiting Burley or Lyndhurst. These are full of tourist shops and don't really represent true forest life. If you can get off the beaten track so to speak, you will find some delightful pubs and places to visit. There are many secrets of the forest and everyone local will have their own special place they like to visit. If you are visiting seek out the local pubs out of the main villages these offer great atmosphere and are almost a tourist atraction in themselves.

You can stay in all sorts of places in the New Forest. The Forestry Commission run some great campsites, right in the woodland. If you're not careful you will wake up to horses eating your tent!!! There is also a wealth of self catering cottages, B & B's, hotels and guest houses. There is only a YHA in Burley and I have never seen it so I cannot comment. This is a shame as there is little offer in the way of budget accomdation in the forest.

If you do come to visit the New Forest I strongly recommend getting up just before sun rise and going for a really early morning walk to get a glimpse of some of the wildlife many miss. A view of the last flight of the barn owl, stampede of deer or the wake up call of the birds is something which shouldn't be missed.

Summary: Just splendid