"It used to be a nudist colony," said my mother-in-law, with an air of absolute certainty. "That's where the name comes from."
Honestly? I couldn't find evidence of this anywhere at Sandy Balls holiday village but the thought makes me smile any way.
We - me, husband, children aged six and two, plus the in-laws, stayed for three nights with Away Resorts at Sandy Balls in the New Forest and it was DELIGHTFUL.
Sandy Balls accommodation
We stayed in one of the Knightwood lodges, and it was nice, really nice. You honestly wouldn’t know it’s a static caravan (meant with the upmost respect to caravans, static or otherwise).
It's set in a sort of Knightwood village, in a leafy idyll within skipping distance of an excellent, on-site, adventure playground complete with zipwire.
Knightwood lodges come with a hot tub and two outdoor showers, if you include the one for dogs. You heard. Dogs are welcomed with open arms (paws?) in some accommodation at Sandy Balls. I had doubts about the appeal of a hot tub in winter but I was wrong. It was warm, bubbly and felt so fancy. It has a cover too so you could even use it if it rained.
There's plenty of seating outside that's also covered and there's heaters, space for a disposable bbq, plus bike racks.
Inside, the Knightwood's incredibly stylish. It feels like a space someone from Interior Design Masters has had a go at. One of the good ones. It all feels very new, and sparkling clean. There's a full size fridge, cool, coloured, Russell Hobbs toaster, and a table laid out for a fancy meal. And - hallelujah - there was more than one of everything. We've been on breaks before where each person is allotted one spoon, one glass, one bowl etc and it's just not enough. Spoons, glasses and bowls galore in the Knightwood.
There's not many dishwasher tablets though (three on our stay), so maybe pack some more if you're planning to eat a lot at the lodge. And not many toiletries in the pack provided, so don't rely on that as your sole source of shower gel for a party of six.
There are two bathrooms, both with showers, and his 'n' hers sinks in the master one. The living room area has a TV bigger than the one we have at home (not hard tbh), and there are three TVs in the lodge as a whole.
And it’s not as if there’s nothing to do on the park…
Sandy Balls activities and entertainment
"Look, animals!" said my city-dwelling child as we walked past some cows.
As well as eyeballing the neighbourhood bovines, you can get up close and personal with alpacas and take them for a walk, priced per alpaca rather than per person, delightfully. They do get booked up though, so make sure you get on the booking app pronto. The swimming pool also gets booked up. It's free but, again, make sure you plan a visit rather than just turning up, and take a padlock with you for the lockers.
There's a gym for ages 16 and over, plus an on-site spa.
There's also a big soft play area that's free and doesn't require booking, and a large arcade. My children also loved the evenings' mini-disco and entertainment.
Sandy Balls restaurants
Staff at the two restaurants we tried, Woodside and Aubrey's, were super friendly and, of course, very geared towards kids. Aubrey’s has more sophisticated vibes of the two, and the drinks menu includes mocktails, Seedlip, and an alcohol free Peronni.
There's also an on-site shop and deli. The vibe there is more local honey and pickles than cornflakes and Pringles, so maybe keep that in mind when food planning. The staff in there are, again, super friendly. Maybe working at Sandy Balls is like a glorious holiday, all year 'round. Now, there's a thought.
Book Sandy Balls
Get up to 10% off bookings with Away Resorts with the code CLOSER10.
The offer is valid from 01 March to 31 December 2023, on all 2023 holidays. Excludes Boston West and Gara Rock. Subject to availability.
Prices start at £217.00 for late March break for three people.