The New Forest has been a holiday destinations for so many people for so many years now. From week long breaks to a simple weekend getaway, there are different places to fulfil what you are in need for. There are many different accommodations throughout New Forest that could suit anything you are after, from luxury and country house hotels, self-catering holiday cottages, bed and breakfasts, camping and caravan sites and holiday parks.
On my recent trip to New Forest, we chose to do a camping weekend in the Lepe Beach Campsite. We went as a huge group, and managed to set our tents up in an area so we were all near each other.
Due to my small group being the first ones to New Forest on the first day, we decided to do a little exploring before heading to the campsite. The whole place was beautiful, whether you may be walking or driving, you can take in the scenery just as well both ways. You will even see horses, cattle and donkeys roaming free and walking alongside the road, which also means, that they do have the choice to roam out in the middle of the road to which you must slow down and prepare for them to cross. In some parts of the New Forest there are also Deer roaming around! We were unlucky on our visit because we didn’t see any roaming around, but we did see one at Bolderwood which is a deer watching area.
After exploring a bit, we ended up at a local pub called Royal Oak. It was such a chill place and had such a nice back garden for you to relax and enjoy the sun with a nice cold drink, to which you can also order food to eat there as well. When we were there, we saw a few Donkeys hanging around the entrance to the pub and they were perfectly content with us going near them and stroking them. It is known to be careful because they do have the tendency to bite if you are not careful, same with the other animals around the area.
Once we got to the campsite and set everything up, after much difficulty of pitching it up, it was a perfect evening to relax, seeing the sun setting around us. I will say, if you are thinking of going camping here, I would suggest to prepare yourself with proper materials with pitching your tent. We all struggled with getting our pegs in because of how hard the ground had become, due to no rain in a while. So be prepared!
The second day we tried to focus on finding somewhere for all of us to explore together. This is when we drove around to find the Bolderwood deer watching place. It was nice, hiking through the woods and just taking in the scenery around area. If you are someone like me who loves to just be around nature any chance you get, then New Forest is perfect, because there is so much to explore. We agreed that a weekend was simply not enough to take in all the natural beauty this place has to offer.
After coming back from exploring Bolderwood, we took a quick walk down to the beach which was not even 5 minutes from where the tent was pitched up. It was a lovely little walk and the area was so peaceful, not too busy either. You can easily walk either direction and you will still be welcomed with the beautiful sight of the sea.
The part I looked forward to both nights was the camp fire. I love the comforting and warm feeling sitting by the fire can create. I don’t know about anyone else, but looking into a little fire like this, it gets me thinking and reminiscing on old times. I get very thoughtful of the past, present and future. Another reason I like the camp fire, is defiantly for roasting marshmallows, and they were absolutely delicious. I have always loved doing this.
And that is my recent trip to New Forest! I would love to go back here one day, but definitely would love to stay a little longer. Maybe stay in a different place, to get the new experience as well! I can’t wait to return!
Aimée Vaughan 