Topcamp Sjøsanden - Mandal

The beach may have poisonous fish, so be careful if you swim there. Our stay was a horrible experience because of the service-room app, which was extremely buggy. The booking system failed and checked us out at midnight, leaving us without toilets for nine hours. We’d booked until 12 that day. We arrived at 11:50 the night before and used the app to enter the property. Ten minutes later, according to the clock, we’d suddenly been checked out. When we raised the issue, staff blamed us and said we’d have to leave immediately if someone else arrived. They basically treated the app’s failure as our fault. If you decide to stay here, ask for a keycard as soon as possible. The app is a buggy mess and doesn’t work.

It’s a lovely camp in a forest beside a beautiful beach, and the city is within walking distance. The facilities are all there, the kitchen is very well equipped, and the sanitary facilities are clean. It’s among the more expensive camps in Norway, but we thought it was worth the price. The playground is great for kids of all ages.

We’ve stayed here for several years, but today a woman with a dog from Topcamp approached us in a very rude way. We’d booked our place as usual and were told our daughter wasn’t allowed to sleep in our van instead of the caravan. Her aggression toward us was upsetting. She even stepped toward us threateningly with the big dog. That’s unacceptable, especially with kids along.

The location in mandal is brilliant, right on the beach and only a 30 minute drive from the ferry at kristiansand. We found a discount code on their website for 40 % off, which made the pitch a good price, though Norway is pricey. Reception sells bread and coffee in the morning, and the facilities are plentiful and clean. Highly recommended.