A few months ago we spent a lovely 3 days at The Forest Holidays Resort in The Forest Of Dean. You can read what Izzy thought of it here.

But as parents what did we think of it?

Booking a holiday with two small children is a big task. You need there to be things for them to do, lots of outdoorsy activities to tire them out. All of the facilities to ensure a comfortable, stress free stay. Plus there needs to be something for the adults too as otherwise it can just get a little bit tiresome.

Forest Holidays really does tick all the boxes.

Let’s start with the accommodation:

From the roomy kitchen and lounge to the luxurious bedrooms and bathrooms, every part of the lodge has been well thought out and planned meticulously. Every kitchen appliance (bar a washing machine – but who wants that on holiday) that you need is there ready to use. Spa toiletries are included in the bathrooms. Yes I did say bathrooms. We had a spacious family bathroom and an en suite off our room also. There is a small cloakroom on walking through the door for you to stash your raincoats and muddy wellies. Huge windows looking out over the forest… And the best part? A door which opens onto your decking and just a few steps later you are in the hot tub. Under a canopy of trees and a harmony of bird song. It’s a truly special experience. We spent many an hour relaxing in there watching the squirrels scuttle up and down the trees and the more daring ones even wandered around just a metre away from us.

The surroundings:

The Forest of Dean is spectacularly beautiful. It’s so lush and green, birds sing everywhere you walk and if you are lucky you may spot a deer or two.

All of the buildings, the reception and restaurant even the bike shack all fit in perfectly to the natural environment. There is a fabulous outdoor play area which the girls just adored:

I enjoyed it a bit too.

There are dens strewn throughout the forest ready to play in or add to.

What to do:

Well you have the forest to explore for starters. There are numerous organised activities such as the Forest Ranger experience which we all loved.

You can hire bikes to get around that little bit quicker, with tag alongs for younger children.

Then there is the hot tub which is fun for adults and kids alike. If the weather sucks then there is an extensive range of movies to watch on the TV as well as wifi if you need to get any work done. Fancy a night off from cooking? Grab a beer ( just for the adults ) and a burger from the restaurant. Or a delicious hot chocolate on a cooler evening. There are ice creams for hot afternoons too and gifts to take home with you.

The overall verdict:

Forest Holidays gets a huge thumbs up from all of us. The kids had an absolute ball and we had a great time too. We wouldn’t hesitate to book a break here and I would heartily recommend it to all of you.

*Our stay at Forest Holidays was complimentary for the purpose of a review.