Relaxing Holidays…..?

Sam Mackley from Mummy Looks Fab pops in to share her holiday experience. Sam is also a bralady for Bras4Mums on the sunny south coast.

Not so long ago my idea of the perfect relaxation holiday would have included some golden sand, some clear blue warm seas, a spa within spitting distance and the kind of restaurants that made you want to start planning your dinner just after you had eaten breakfast…..That was all it took, pre children, to guarantee I came back rested, refreshed and relaxed…..


Now that I have a five year old and three year old to keep happy for the duration of any holiday we take, I have come to accept a few universal truths. Firstly, no matter where you go, IN THE WORLD, unless you can afford five-star-all-inclusive-and-full-time-childcare then your job as mum, for the duration of the holiday, will be just as challenging as it is at home, if not more so.
Secondly, unless you can afford five-star-all-inclusive-and-full-time-childcare, there will be no “relaxing by the pool” or “popping off to the spa”, so there is no point in hoping for it.
Finally, unless you can afford five-star-all-inclusive-and-full-time-childcare, there will be no swanky restaurants, ala carte menus and between-courses-wine-sorbets to clean your palate. Get used to it.
At least, this is what myself and my husband thought before our most recent holiday to the Isle of Wight. We are both firmly of the opinion that part of the reason for going on holiday as a family is for us all to spend time together so until the children are a bit older and are begging us to go in to holiday clubs with their mates, we don’t even bother making childcare arrangements. On this holiday we camped, and discovered to our eternal delight, that you don’t need expensive childcare when there are other children in the tents nearby who want to play!
We also discovered that what keeps the children amused and happy is the perfect recipe for relaxation for the parents. The Isle of Wight is only an hour across and forty minutes deep, which meant that from our little campsite near Ventnor, we were only ever about half an hour from loads of great stuff to do. In the space of one short week we went to adventure parks, nature reserves, stately homes, falconry displays, beaches, piers, play parks, zoos, farms and fun pools.

In short, it was everything a three year old and a five year old need to feel they are having the best time in their lives, without ever having to spend more than half an hour in the car. Not only that, but the list we made of things we want to do next time we go, would fill another three holidays easily. It is SO family friendly.
Which brings me on to my next point. Food. It’s a long time since we enjoyed children friendly ala carte dining, but the Isle of Wight is so very family-centric that we had some of the most amazing food we have ever enjoyed in places that had CHILDREN’S MENUS…. Honestly! Giant piles of fresh seafood at the The Crab and Lobster Inn, the most delicious foodie menu of in-season local produce at The Taverners in Godshill and perfect cafe chic at the Reef in Sandown. All of which had colouring books, early evening sittings and were more than happy to do milkshakes, carrot batons and ketchup- with-everything alongside the amazing grown-up food. It was wonderful. For the first time in a long time, instead of casing each town we went to for Pizza Express, and if necessary McDonalds, we were overwhelmed with choices that everyone approved of.
By a stroke of pure dumb luck the camp site were staying at also had a little cafe attached to it, and they did amazing home-cooked take away. On the long balmy evenings when we didn’t feel like putting clothes over our swimmies and going out, we just ordered up some lovely Thai curries with pizza margarita on the side and happily munched our way to bedtime.
So despite doing something full-on and tiring every single day, despite sleeping under canvas and sharing a toilet with thirty other families (it was very clean, very modern and very near our tent), and despite being at the beck and call of two very small, very demanding people, (and one big one), I had one of the most relaxing and satisfying holidays I have ever enjoyed.
When I think about those massive piles of fresh seafood, playing Scrabble under the stars with my husband and watching my children run around in the sunshine, screaming with laughter, I can’t wait to get back there and do it all again. That’s got to be the definition of the perfect family holiday.

Sam and her family visited Appledurcombe Gardens Camping and Caravan Site for a week in July.

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