Family left wanting to buy a caravan after amazing Haven holiday trip

Writer and mum-of-two Jess Spiring explains how owning a caravan at one of Haven’s parks in Dorset means that you and your family can head off for a break whenever you fancy*

It’s hard to tell who in my clan most wants a caravan of our own so we can go to Haven’s Rockley Park on repeat.

It might be my daughter Bibi, nine, who loved the sandy playground on the beach, yards from our caravan. She wants to come back to prove she can still beat us all at “swing olympics” – you know, that game where you launch yourself off a moving swing as far as is humanly possible (shockingly far in Bibi’s case, it turns out).

Or it might be too-cool-for-school 11-year-old Tilda, who enjoyed herself on the bungee trampolines and got launched into space by the obliging Haven instructors. She wants a do-over too.

Then again, Boo, our puppy, was quite sold on our caravan’s veranda – it meant she wasn’t stuck inside with the boring humans and could spend her evening patrolling the perimeter as all good dogs should. It was great for us to be able to bring her along to enjoy the fun.

Or maybe it’s me. As the family CEO, tasked with getting the show on the road, I’m all for a self-catering retreat that you can visit at a moment’s notice. No passports to check or batteries to charge ahead of lengthy journeys. And when you opt for one of Haven’s 38 parks, chances are it’s close enough to home that you can be kicking back in your caravan by 6pm on a frazzled Friday night.

The caravans are spacious and well-appointed. Should you fancy cooking, you can stroll to the well-stocked shop for ingredients and potter about in the kitchen while the kids unwind in the open-plan sitting room. Or just do as I did on our first night and order pizza and fish & chips.

The next night we booked a table at the park’s Mash and Barrel restaurant. It’s part of an entertainment complex that contains an amusement arcade, so the kids could play on the 2p shuffle and tin can alley, while my partner Reuben and I savoured an aperitif and ordered the food. And after supper we all enjoyed an impressive dance and light show at the Live Lounge.

At Rockley Park, located in Poole, caravan owners get their own hub, with a spectacular owners’ pool and lounge. Summer pool parties there are “epic” according to one regular we got chatting to.

There’s a huge choice of daytime activities that are up to half price for caravan owners †. From pottery painting, to archery, Segway riding, rock climbing, minigolf, den building, and indoor and outdoor pools, there’s something for all ages.

The park is located by Ham Common nature reserve, which means there are gorgeous coastal walks on your doorstep too, while further afield are the bright lights of Poole and Sandbanks. After three nights of ‘van life’ we felt we’d barely scratched the surface and long to do what owners can do: steal memory-making mini-breaks whenever the mood takes you. At Haven, it seems, familiarity breeds content.

†TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY: PLEASE ENQUIRE FOR DETAILS. PURCHASE SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY. PARKS CANNOT BE USED AS A PERMANENT RESIDENCE.

What to see and do nearby

Sandbanks

The south’s answer to the Hamptons, this peninsula is packed with super-yachts and millionaire mansions.

Drgnfly, Poole

A stunning pan-Asian restaurant that’s a top place for spotting some of the soccer legends who live nearby.

Brownsea Island

Owned by the National Trust and accessed via a 20-minute ferry ride, this is one of the few places in the UK to see adorable red squirrels.

RNLI College

Take a 90-minute tour of this RNLI crew training centre, which includes a wave tank and a lifeboat simulator.