A Home Away From Home
When my husband suggested a holiday for our family (2 adults, 3 kids, 1.5 months – 12 years), I will be first to admit I was a little unsure when he suggested a caravan holiday home at Hurley Riverside Park. Having not been much of a camper in my childhood or adult life, I was concerned I didn’t have the equipment or knowledge required! However, he soon called my bluff when he explained that although you *could* camp at Hurley, there were also caravan holiday homes you could hire, no camping needed!
When we arrived at Hurley, we were met with the friendly team who gave us the keys to our home for the next week and took us over to show us where we would be.
The kids were very excited to see where we would be staying, and I was amazed by how modern, spacious and comfortable the caravan was! With a lovely kitchen so we could easily cook meals, warm cosy bedrooms for both us and the kids, it felt like a special place to lay our heads after our day’s activities. Our bedroom also had an ensuite loo, which, with a family of five, was a nice touch!
We were soon out the door to explore where we were staying, and the kids didn’t know where they wanted to go first! We had a lovely amble down to the riverside to check out the local wildlife, and soon we were being dragged into the playground where the kids had great fun doing timed circuits around the obstacle course.
By evening, we walked back through a peaceful campsite, and were met with fellow campers all looking super relaxed!
Sipping a glass of wine on the caravan balcony, in the lovely warm breeze, I felt like I could be abroad!
We visited both Marlow and Henley which are both lovely riverside towns and also had a day at Windsor Castle to get a bit of history and culture! We returned to Windsor to visit Legoland for the day, which was certainly something the kids enjoyed (but I must admit that I avoided the roller coaster and had fun with our littlest one looking at the amazing Lego structures!).
The rest of the time was spent on the park but there was plenty to do which kept us all occupied and happy. The kids loved splashing about in the river, looking for mushrooms on the wildlife trail, and also experiencing some lovely independence, cycling around without mum and dad hovering behind them (although we were never too far!). We hired a paddleboard (for the older kids) but decided on canoes for the adults, as to be perfectly honest, paddleboards looked like too much hard work for a holiday. It was magical watching the three children spend some quality time together but also learning some new skills and having such an adventure!
By doing the day trips in the early part of the week, I returned home well rested, grateful for some time in the countryside, and reconnected to my family. Although we had our space, it was amazing to do activities together and share meals in the lovely home away from home we were in.
Thank you to Hurley Riverside Park – we will be back again!
Ellie K