Camping Aranypart

Seeing Balaton frozen over was fantastic. The icy wind swept across the lake as people skated over its surface, and the ice formations were incredible to look at.

We booked a Comfort Plus pitch, but left as soon as we arrived. The mosquitoes were so bad that being outdoors even for a minute was impossible, and we spotted mice on the pitch too. There was no shade, just electricity, yet it cost over €90 a night. It wasn't a relaxing camping experience.

The lakeside location is decent, but the services are a mess. I stayed two nights on one of the biggest pitches, and it was full of rat holes. Rats also come out at night. There was no quiet time at all, with screaming at every hour, and the pitches weren't properly separated, so people walked through ours to reach the lakeshore. The showers were a terrible joke: so tiny you could barely fit, with no door, just a flimsy curtain. The janitors would come in while people were getting dressed, including male staff in the women's showers. At reception, one guy got offended when I couldn't find the water connection because its cover wouldn't move. He then said something in his language, knowing I couldn't understand.

The pool and beach were very good, and the new wristband system for getting onto the campsite beach worked well. The apartment itself was okay, but it was short on kitchen basics: there was no kettle or toaster, and not enough plates for the advertised number of guests. Reception said they'd bring the missing appliances after we asked, but they never arrived that day. When I mentioned it at checkout, the receptionist was rude and rolled her eyes. Bugs were a nuisance and kept us from using the patio, though I know that isn't the campsite's fault. Overall I'd give the campsite 4/5, but the sofa bed wasn't clean to the same standard as everything else.