Bays Holiday Park

The kids had a great time with the pool slide and jumping pillow. We still enjoyed our stay, and the room itself was nice, with a spa bath. But most of the cabin was carpeted and it was obviously dusty, like it hadn’t had a proper clean in a long time. With two toddlers, the carpet got quite dirty after a couple of days. The broom in the room didn’t do the job. We asked reception for a vacuum and were told they couldn’t lend us one, though they’d try to get a cleaner in. That never happened, and we left two nights early. The park is off a main road, with no walking tracks nearby. It’s about an 8-minute drive to local shops. You can walk around the camping ground, but the rocky road and grass aren’t pram friendly. We like going for walks on holiday, so families who feel the same may want to know that. The WiFi and phone reception were poor, and we could barely make calls. The TVs were small and old school. Internet isn’t essential, but it would’ve been nice to use something like Netflix to wind down with the kids at night.

The kids liked the jumping pillow, volleyball court and soccer field, and the bathrooms were okay, clean enough. The pool looked nice but felt small for a park this size, so we often went out during the day. Our powered tent sites were along a dusty gravel road, which meant dust kept getting into the tent and wasn’t great for young kids on scooters. We were also near a dump bin, which took away from the feel of the site. The booking process caused a lot of stress just before our holiday. I’d called ahead to ask whether the park could place a group of families together, with grandparents, tents and cabins. They said yes and told everyone to put my name in the comments when booking their own site. Four days before we arrived, I called to check whether the tent sites were close and let them know the last family was booking. The park said they’d only just realized it was a group, despite the comments, then said they weren’t taking group bookings at that time of year and refused the final family, even though availability was advertised online. Two days before arrival they changed their position and let that family come, which we appreciated. But at check-in, our campsites still weren’t all close together, even though that was why we’d booked as a group. Guests were checking in and out all through our stay, so it was surprising that arranging nearby sites was such a challenge. It wasn’t a terrible stay, but it wasn’t the relaxing family camping trip we’d hoped for.

We even changed our arrival date by two days and it was no hassle. Staff were friendly and helpful, and there was lots for kids to do. The park is well appointed, with plenty of facilities in reasonable condition. I’d read mixed reviews, but our stay at Bays Holiday Park was really pleasant.

We met lots of lovely people, but this will be our last visit. The cabin was okay and clean, though I had to clean the air-conditioning filters myself. They were thick as carpet and probably hadn’t been cleaned before. We’ve stayed at a lot of parks, and this one unfortunately didn’t compare. It needs a big injection of funds to bring it up to scratch. There wasn’t much for kids besides riding bikes or swimming in the fairly ordinary-sized pool.