If you are thinking of booking a caravan holiday in Norfolk then you may be amazed by the amount of holiday parks on offer. You just have to hope and pray that the glossy photos match reality when you arrive with your kids and suitcases in tow. I took the kids to stay at California Cliffs in Scratby for the May half term. Is California Cliffs good for a family holiday?
Best for: families who want a cheap break on a clean holiday park where they can explore Norfolk.
Score: 7/10. A lovely stay but a few slight issues with ants and customer service let it down.
Accommodation at California Cliffs
I booked a 4 berth bronze caravan for myself and my 2 boys in the May half term. It cost me £385 for four nights. Did you know you can use up to £45 of Tesco clubcard vouchers to get some money off? First impressions were not great, we opened the door and straight away saw a colony of ants had decided to join our adventure. Luckily we went straight back to reception and they sent a team out to deal with them within half an hour. (Spoiler, they decided to come back and say good bye on the last morning! – The ants, not the team!)
Ants aside, the caravan and everything in it looked brand new. We were located right next to the entertainment complex. This meant the kids could log onto the free wi-fi 😂. It also meant we could dash across from the swimming pool in our towels, and have a boogie to the music without leaving our mobile home.
I appreciate they have a quick turnaround between guests, but it wasn’t completely clean. I usually arrive with a pack of anti-bac wipes when I visit somewhere anyway. So it wasn’t a bother.
I also had to deal with the carcasses of A Bug’s life cast. On a serious note though, it was small. Not so that you notice it immediately, but after a few days with some shopping in the cupboards and the chaos from two boys, it did start to feel small. For the price we paid though, we were happy!
What’s at California Cliffs?
So let me set the scene. We have visited Park Dean resorts before, there have been high ropes, large activity areas, including areas for Nerf gun battles. So we had high expectations. California Cliffs was smaller than other parks we had visited, meaning everything was scaled back.
The pool
This was the saving grace of the park. Having an indoor and outdoor pool meant we could swim no matter the weather. We were unable to book swimming slots before we went due to booking our trip fairly last minute. Having said that, we went to a walk in slot every day and managed to get in every time. The boys loved the novelty of being able to swim between the pools through a set of double doors! The water was warm! The warmest pool we have ever been in. It was busy, but not unbearable. One disappointing thing was the water slide being out of action for all of our visit. It was one of the things that grabbed our attention on the photos.
Bookable activities
We didn’t have the best experience with this unfortunately. I booked gel blasters for the boys. As we arrived there was nobody in sight, it was due to take place on the sports pitch. A staff member arrived as our activity was due to begin. We were told it was cancelled, and went to get a refund. 10 days after returning I have still not received that refund – will update how long it takes me to get it back! The go karts were fun, but that was the only other bookable activity the kids wanted to do.
Facilities
There is an on-site shop, chippy, bar and restaurant and launderette. We went to the entertainment on one of the evenings, and it looked to cater to children well. My football mad son made good use of the sports pitch. There was a play park, which looked good for smaller children. It was next to the mini golf area which looked small. The holiday park was kept well maintained. We saw a friendly maintenance man sweeping paths and tidying up each day we were there.
What’s near California Cliffs?
We chose it because of it’s location. We knew we wanted to make the most of the local area rather than spending too much time on the holiday park. There are lots of nearby beaches and days out within an hour’s drive of California Cliffs. We couldn’t have fit anything else into our time there – we were non-stop. Here’s the places we visited:
Horsey Bay
Great Yarmouth fireworks
Africa Alive
Banger racing
Rage room
There is a beach within walking distance of the holiday park, and a trip to Horsey Bay to see the seals is only a 10-15 minute drive. An open top bus stops at the entrance to the holiday park, and offers a coastal trip. The boys loved the arcade across the road ‘The Pink Palace’. There were machines with Jelly cats in them, so I enjoyed it in there too – although I didn’t win anything.
Top tips when heading to California Cliffs
Upgrade – If you are staying longer than a few nights, and have the money – consider getting a bigger caravan. Ours was ok for the time we were there, but we would have struggled had another adult been with us.
Embrace the local area – Don’t feel restricted to the holiday park. There is loads on offer nearby, even if you don’t drive. Great Yarmouth is accessible on the bus or easy to drive to. Car parks are available at reasonable rates, but parking on the beach front was difficult and expensive (£12 for 3 hours). A car park near the Pleasure beach charges £6 for the whole day – bargain!
Pack a ball – The sports pitch provided entertainment for my youngest, and he played football with several other children. The best bit – I could see him from my caravan and it felt very safe.
Final thoughts on California Cliffs
California Cliffs isn’t a massive, overwhelming mega-resort, and honestly? That’s its charm. Despite a couple of minor maintenance issues and a cancelled activity, the warmth of the staff, the lovely pools, and the unbeatable location made it a great base for our Norfolk family adventure.
Things to take with you
Check the list of what is included before you travel. As we were in a bronze caravan, there were some things that weren’t included. There was a clothes airer you could hang out the window, as well as an iron and ironing board. I don’t even iron things at home, so that got left in the box 😂. Crockery, cutlery, pots, pans and basic utensils were included. Our fridge had a mini freezer, we also had a gas oven and hob, toaster, kettle and microwave. There was even a hairdryer!
Here’s what wasn’t there and you might want to take with you:
- Towels
- Washing up liquid and sponge
- Tea towel
- Kitchen roll
- Toilet rolls
- Anti bac wipes
- Bin bag
- Ant powder!
If you’ve been and there’s anything else you class as a necessity let me know!
