As austerity measures start to bite and inflationary pressures refuse to abate, it is no surprise to see so many people squeezed to the extent that they have to scrap their 2011holiday plans altogether. Others are managing to take the family away albeit on a much reduced budget. Quite clearly, self catering remains the most popular option for hard pressed families as the accommodation is traditionally a good deal cheaper than staying full board at an hotel.
The beauty of self catering is that one can spend as much or as little on the food and drink element as one's budget can afford. One can make one's own mind up as to how often one eats in or goes out for a meal.
Families can make further savings by shunning expensive visits to theme parks etc and finding alternative, cheaper activities to amuse the kids. A clever solution might be to find self catering accommodation on a working farm which has its own leisure facilities and which is very often to be found hard by the seaside.
Many farm holiday properties nowadays not only boast first class standards of accommodation but also have onsite amenities such as swimming pools, games rooms and tennis courts etc. Of course, introducing the children to the wonders of a working farm is a superb bonus which is thrown in for nothing.
We checked out a number of properties on the leading farm holiday website, Cartwheel , and were amazed at the standard of many of the facilities that are on offer these days.
Northcote Manor Farm, for example, is handily situated for both Exmoor and the sweeping surf beaches of the North Devon coast. For days when guests just want to stay put and chill out, the farm and its 5 cottages have access to the covered, heated swimming pool which even has a Swimjet enabling people to have a long swim in the same direction. A games barn offers table tennis, snooker and a childrens toy corner, while a children's playground with swings, slide, Wendy House etc, is provided to keep younger guests amused. To cap it all, the farm's owners have laid out a croquet and boule lawn with adjacent summerhouse and fun football pitch.
Quite clearly, families don't need to spend a fortune on both accommodation and all those extras such as children's amusements.
Martin Wynn
