A bit of luxurious camping in Denmark
The Meek Family
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Okay we've now got a new favourite site of the trip! We loved Halfsten Camping in Sweden because of its location and activities. We loved Neset Camping in Norway because of the picturesque views of the fjord on which we were perched. We now love Hvidbjerg Strand because of its activities (of which there are many!), its location (beside a beautiful beach) and the 5 star facilities that make you feel like you are staying in five star hotel. It's more expensive than your average campsite but it includes a lot of extra stuff.
The site is large, very large and offers pitches for caravans, motorhomes and tents as well as chalet accommodation. The pitches for mobile campers (us!) are grassy (and a little sandy), flat and grouped in sections surrounded by hedges, each with its own electricity post including TV cable socket, water tap and grey water drain. There are various different types of chalet accommodation: smaller huts, larger stilted huts on water and Western themed cabins near the Western Village.
Throughout the site there are large, yellow-painted, thatched buildings that easily identifiable; these are the service blocks which provide toilets, showers, cooking facilities, dish-washing facilities and TV rooms - all to an immaculate standard. There are toilets for men, women, families and even a funky coloured tiled bathroom for the youngsters. No coins or tokens are needed to enter or use the showers; they are luxuriously decorated, extremely clean, never busy and provide a truly five star feeling! Even the dog have showers with hairdryers! It's the same with the cooking facilities. I know that all the sites that we've stayed at in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Germany have all offered cooking facilities but these were once again luxuriously decorated and felt like something taken from a 5 star catalogue.
The entrance to the site is where the reception is based (open 8am - 10pm). As you arrive on site, there are five check-in lanes - a sign of how busy it can get! The staff here are very friendly and helpful. After checking in you are presented with a map (useful!), a barrier chip, bracelets that give you access to Badeland (the swimming pool) and Play City (indoor play centre) and adults are each given a card to enter the Spa and wellness centre. You can also hire carts or buggies that can be driven around the site; these cost 50 DAK an hour and are certainly a fun way to explore. The swimming pool and spa both neighbour the reception and there is a restaurant, cafe and supermarket all in close proximity. The supermarket sells a wide selection of goods at reasonable prices, including ice-creams, fresh produce and freshly baked breads and cakes. These don't need to ordered but can sell out quickly, although they regularly bake new batches throughout the day.
On the other side of the resort, there is the Western Village, a cowboy-themed area with buildings that could have been taken from a Cowboy and Indian film. Within this smaller complex there is a cafe selling fast food; seating areas around a couple of fire pits; ponies and a riding centre (payable); a jail (to lock your sibling or husband up in!), the Hacienda, a relaxing den with games, sofas and even their own cooking facilities aimed at teenagers and the Play City, an indoor play centre. The Play City is also Western-themed with kids disappearing into Bank, Jail or Bar to climb padded stairs, swings on balls, jump on trampolines, play football or slide down slides. The adults that venture in here tend to sit in the comfy seating that is conveniently placed around the room. The Play City is open from 10am - 10pm; children (and adults) can come and go throughout the day and enter through a revolving barrier using their bracelet. Shoes need to be left in the entrance hall. A bar area in Play City serves drinks, including coffee, tea, beer and wide range of slush puppies; fast food and a tempting selection of pick and mix!
Outside the Play City there is a large playground, one of many around the site; it had a giant jumping pillow, trampolines, climbing equipment and a small track for mini carts.
So what did we do to fill our time here? It was quite easy really...we flittered between the pool, Play City, spa and beach. The swimming pool, open 9am - 8pm, is a popular attraction at the site and understandably busy. It is accessible using the bracelet again but time is limited to three hours and once a day. It is an indoor pool, or should I say pools, with a few flumes, an area for youngsters, small sauna and bubbly spa pool. There are deck chairs to relax on when not swimming. Once again the five star feel runs through to this facility which is of a very high standard.
The Spa and Wellness centre next door is mainly aimed at adults, although there is a family session that runs every day between 10-12. I had my fun in the pool but also made the most of the spa on a couple of occasions, once with the girls, once by myself. This area once again oozes luxury and relaxation. A card is used to enter the changing rooms and is also needed to lock the lockers. Once you enter the Spa world, there are two floors that offer a range of saunas, steam rooms and relaxation pools. The upper floor also has a lounging area to rest, sleep or read at. A door out to the balcony takes you to another panoramic sauna that overlooks the site and beach in the distance as well the outdoor pool. There three pools here; one very cold plunge pool, a salty lukewarm pool and a warm bubble spa. Massages are also available but these are at an extra cost.
Now it would be easy to remain contained within the site, making the most of the five star facilities but it would a shame to miss out the beach, a short walk through a gate out of the site or from the main reception. The beach is vast. It is a sandy beach littered with shells and punctuated by rocky sea defences. A walk, run or even day on the beach is another activity to add to the list when staying at the site.
We like to explore an area when staying at a site and often try to find methods of using public transport to get out and about if not on foot. That didn't happen here! I think we got totally caught up in what was on offer and had a fun-filled, relaxing time.
I hope I have painted a sufficiently positive picture of this site because we did love it. We had a wonderful two-night stay here. The girls loved all the activities and really didn't want to leave to move on. Not a bad way to end our stay in Denmark!
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