When booking a family holiday, there are a plethora of options: all-inclusive, half-board, hotels, camping, B&Bs, self-catering… but which one do you choose to enable everyone in the family to enjoy a proper break?
In our opinion, we believe that self-catering holidays offer the most convenience and flexibility for families with little ones. After all, the clue is in the name: you’ll be able to cater for your own family’s individual needs, in your own time, and at your own pace.
Here are some of the benefits of booking self-catering accommodation for families:
Convenience
Between all of us at Duchy Holidays we have many children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and are well aware of how children love routine, especially when it comes to mealtimes! Being in a self-catering property means that you can feed your children what and when they expect, making mealtimes much easier to manage.
Of course, you don’t have to cook every meal – why not budget in a couple of dinners out at a great selection of local pubs and restaurants, or order take-away to enjoy back at your holiday home? On the other hand, if you don’t often get the chance to enjoy cooking amidst the daily rush of having to get food on the table, a self-catering holiday allow you the chance to slow down and take things at a more leisurely pace.
If you’re travelling with a baby and need to make up bottles in the middle of the night, having a fully equipped kitchen to hand certainly makes the task far less onerous. Some properties provide high chairs and travel cots, but if your chosen property doesn’t come with them, they can be hired from us for a small charge and we’ll make sure they’re ready and waiting in your property. It’s one less thing to worry about fitting into your car!
Cost
As we’re all aware, feeding and entertaining children isn’t cheap! So doing your own food shopping can save a lot of money rather than eating out every day (and can make dinners healthier too!). To save yourselves time and effort, arranging a grocery delivery to your holiday accommodation for when you arrive, or picking up shopping from a click and collect on your way can save a lot of hassle.
Flexibility
With a self-catering holiday home there are no restrictions on your time. Eat when you want, come and go as you please, and – as all families with young children know – sleep when you can! If your babies or toddlers are used to an afternoon nap, they can carry on with their normal routine while on holiday, and as you’re not at home, there’s no housework to worry about, or jobs to do, meaning the adults can sit back and enjoy some quiet time too.
Space
With an entire property at your disposal, all the family will be able to find a quiet corner to relax. Many of our properties also have enclosed gardens, allowing the adults peace of mind while the children play outdoors.
And at night, once the children have gone to bed, there’s plenty of space for the adults to chill out and continue to enjoy the evening. We’re sure we’re not the only ones to have had to go to bed at the same time as the children when sharing a hotel room… it’s either that or being exiled to the en-suite, sharing a bottle of wine and playing cards while perched on the loo seat … oh yes, we’ve been there! Not so with self-catering. Revel in the space and make the most of your time on holiday.
Good places to take little ones
If you book self-catering accommodation in Perranporth and the surrounding areas, there are plenty of places to take younger children for days out. Here are a few ideas:
- The beach! There are loads of them to choose from, and Perranporth, Crantock and Holywell Bay all have rivers running across the beaches, great for paddling and playing.
- Healey’s Cyder Farm for farm animals, fruit juices, and maybe a sneaky cyder for the grown-ups!
- Callestick Farm for animals (piglets if you’re lucky!), play equipment and of course their infamous ice cream.
- Jungle Jacks soft play on the outskirts of Newquay for overcast days.
- The play parks in Perranporth: there are two to choose from, one perfect for little ones with slides and swings.
- Perranporth boating lake and putting green where you can hire row boats and feed the ducks (duck food can be bought from The Mustard Pot health food shop on the high street).
- Nearby National Trust properties with lovely gardens to run around in include Trellisick, Trerice, Lanhydrock and Glendurgan. Take a picnic and make a day of it.
- Lappa Valley steam railway is great fun for kids.
- Dairyland can be a full days’ outing with an animal petting area, pony rides, outdoor play equipment and a huge indoor soft play.
- Paradise Park, a wonderful wildlife sanctuary for birds and animals.
- Newquay Zoo for lions, penguins, lemurs, and so much more.
