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Holiday Reviews > Holiday Parks > Holland > North Brabant > Center Parcs De Kempervennen > Read Reviews
Center Parcs De Kempervennen Reviews
| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jul 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss M.R O''Donnell |
| Overall
Rating: |
4/10 |
| Comments: |
i have recently visited center parcs De Kempervennen and we stayed there for 12 days. when we got there i was exited and saw all of the animals just wondering about the parc. however when we arrived at our chalet i was quite disapointed as the rooms all smelt of smoke and everything was damp. All my bed sheets were damp and it made me feel uncomfatable to sleep in. i was really exited to go and see the pool but when i got there,there seemed to be lack of slides as there was only one,and one rapid. the bikes were alot of fun but i had to take mine back 4 times as the lights and chains kept on breaking. The only thing that didnt seem that bad was where we ate. we ate in the market dome and the food seemed quite nice and the waiters were very pleasant. the Activities were amazing i enjoyed them so much. we done a three day ski corse aswell which was ok exept i was on my bum more than my feet.
overall the holiday was boring once you had done the activities and in my opinion you should stay there for 5 days max as you run out of things to do and you start doing them again.
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Jul 2008 |
| Tour
Operator: |
centre parcs |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs M H O''Donnell |
| Overall
Rating: |
4/10 |
| Comments: |
We stayed at kempervenan centre parcs for twelve days far to long in my opinion.Four days is plenty as the park is small and is not that much to do once you have done an activity for the day,the site itself was clean but was very dissapointed with the accomodation it stunk of smoke so bad i had to take my inhaler twice in an hour.The shower flooded the bathroom every time we used it, and the sofa and beds felt damp and were smelly.The sheets did not tuck in the bed properly and we had two seperate duvets on the double bed.My advice would be take your own bedding and towels and if you dont like smoke then dont go because even in the fresh air you can smell smoke.The pool was fun but again very small with one rapid and one slide.Eating was not too bad in the market dome but the entertainment was poor and boring for adults not sure for young children as we have a teenager,so dont know what goes on for the younger kids all in all i would not go mad over this holiday seemed alot of money for what we did!
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| Board Basis: |
Room Only |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Oct 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Miss G Raven |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
I have just come back from a long weekend break to De Kempervennen Center Parcs. I am a regular to Center Parcs and I often go to the one in Eleveden Forest.
Me and my partner found it smaller than the ones in England but we liked how there was a big focus on nature and animals. If you had children there is more for them to do here.
One disapointment was the food as we really enjoyed eating out in the England Parcs and we found the food to be very basic and still as expensive.
The real highlight of this park is the Montana Snow Centre. It is because of this feature that I would prefer to go back here. It is real snow and there are good facilities. It was good fun. If you are going it is best to get a week or weekend pass as it works out cheaper if you are going to ski more than one day.
All in all we had a really good time.
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Apr 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked direct |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs C Lopes |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
My family and I (husband, 9 year old and 7 year old) have just returned from a week long holiday in De Kempervennen. This was our second trip, we last visited in 2006, and we have had a fantastic time!
We hired basic family accommodation, which had been updated since our last visit and seemed clean and newly decorated. We loved the feeling of quiet privicy the chalet offered, we were woken by ducks and chickens on our patio.
The park itself was clean throughout and smoking is no longer allowed indoors anywhere on site, so the dome was fresh and smoke free. The children loved the cow, goats and donkeys wandering the outdoor areas and I felt happier about letting the children ride freely as the no-cars policy seems to be far more strictly applied than during our last visit.
The snow slope was one of the main reasons for our visit and proved good value for lessons and was completely empty in the evenings. The ski-restaurant offers very good value basic snacks, although is not smoke-free, quite a shock after becoming used to the smoking ban!
All members of staff were friendly and helpful and we were able to book clubs for the children when we arrived. One tip, the most popular "Family Grill" restaurant needs to be booked in advance as it is full most evenings.
Overall, we found the holiday good value despite the euro rate being less favourable. We would consider flying to Eindhoven in future, as a seven hour car/train journey is a strain. Other than that, very enjoyable overall!
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Apr 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Direct Booking |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs L Killengray |
| Overall
Rating: |
6/10 |
| Comments: |
Went to DeKempervennen at Easter break and stayed in a 2 bed roomed VIP cottage.
The park & facilities were very good, and all reasonably priced. The standard of instruction in the Montana snowcentre was very good, and all the public areas were clean and well cared for.
It was sometimes difficult to get served in the bars in the evening, but I guess this was due to it being a relatively busy period.
Our only gripe was with the standard of our accommodation. The curtains and furnishings in our cottage were tired and the carpet was so dirty that we had to keep shoes on to stop our socks from getting filthy.
There was also black mould on the wall in the corner of the living area, and also in the shower cubicle.
We mentioned all this at reception, but nothing was done, and although we've written to Centerparc head office we have as yet heard nothing.
Other people were very happy with their cottages, so I think we were just unlucky.
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| Board Basis: |
Room Only |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Mar 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Expedia |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr FJW Williams |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Brilliant!!! I really enjoyed it and the kids did too.
Montana ski slope 10/10!
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| Board Basis: |
Room Only |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Feb 2007 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs J Block |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
We have just returned from a midweek break at Centre Parcs De Kempervennen Holland.
Having visited several of the UK Parcs we were plenty surprised. We stayed in a de-luxe villa - dishwasher and a few other mod cons included - such as second TV in the bedroom!
The overall standard was excellent, extremely clean, with two young children (3 and 5) the pool came in very handy... the children's pool area was great, they played for hours and there were plenty of chairs and tables available.
We had heard that smoking was an issue in and around the parc, but there were plenty of non-smoking areas in the restaurants and other areas and it really was not a problem at all.
The evening entertainment was also very good and the quality of the food the same as the UK and reasonable value for money.
I would not hesitate to recommend it as a suitable alternative to Centre Parcs in the UK.
The kids club catered for our children at 5 euros per child for 1.5hours of baking and they loved it.
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Dec 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Forces Travel |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs J V Harrington |
| Overall
Rating: |
6/10 |
| Comments: |
We went for a week at Christmas with a 14 year old and a 10 year old - staying in a 4 person economy cottage.
Friends were staying in a 4 bed VIP lodge on the other side of the complex. We have been to all the Centre Parcs in the UK so this was a new venture prompted by the on site snow dome at De Kempervennen.
We found the Cottage to be clean, and well equipped. With no oven which we knew about but we did have a microwave.
There were plenty of saucepans of large sizes to make use of cook-in-sauces on the hob and plenty of cutlery and crockery - useful when our friends came over for dinner!
The onsite supermarket was a bit more expensive than the off site supermarket but still reasonable compared to English supermarkets. Albert Heijn in nearby Valkenswaard was great for all your grocery needs if you wanted to shop off site.
We also discovered a market there on Thursday and a good old C&A which still exists on the continent.
We hired bikes for all the family which we really enjoyed and came in very useful. We also cycled off site to a local pancake house.
The snow dome was great and both children had lessons there. I also went for a skiing session. Pre-booking advisable. You can hire ski outfits for a nominal charge.
Criticisms - we found the indoor plaza area very smoky with every other table full of smokers - neither of us smoke and have got used to no-smoking places in the UK.
Also it was winter so lots of people were sitting indoors and lighting up in that area - might be better in the summer - or you may be a smoker and think it’s great.
Also there were lots of cars left on site after unloading - this meant that the paths were narrower for cycling on and I was worried about my younger one scratching the cars with his bike.
More worryingly, quite a few people seemed to use their cars to move around the site and drove quite quickly - meaning it was not the car free zone we were used to in the UK and not safe for younger ones to cycle around and have a bit of freedom - again this may be better in the summer.
Final criticism - lots of dogs which I love but unfortunately irresponsible owners who do not clear up after their dogs.
Plus points: Snow Dome; Cheaper than UK Parcs even including ferry fare and bike hire; exploring local town; cycling to local pancake house.
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs J Croft |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
What a fabulous holiday.
We have been to six different Center Parcs sites (Elvedon, Sherwood, Longleat, De Kempervennen, De Huttenheugte and Het Heijebos). De Kempervennen is by far the best. Longleat is the best of the UK parcs.
De Kempervennen had it all for us. Our party had two adults and two children (girls 12 and 13). We travelled Dover/Dunkerque on the ferry and drove the rest of the journey. At check-in the staff were very organised and everything went smoothly.
Our girls spent at least 3-4 hours a day in the aqua mundo which was great because it was free (or part of the price). The rest of the time we did other activities such as badminton, high adventure or 'midget golf' which we had booked whilst in the UK about 3 months before we went (excellent tip because when we arrived the receptionist told us that everything else had sold out).
The aqua mundo was great; the rapids are exhilarating, the sunken galleon fascinating and cleanliness superb. There were various other slides etc and twice a week they got out a variety of large inflatable’s to have in the pool.
The food was perfect for our girls as they could help themselves and there was a lot of choice.
Our total holiday of one week in August in a lovely villa including food, ferry and all activities was £998 for a family of four. That would not even get us a one bed place at Center Parcs UK in August. We spent about £400 on pressies, some wine, duty frees and other bits and bobs. Once home we had a wallet full of euros not spent. I'm definitely not complaining.
We now go to Center Parcs about 2-3 times a year and we have not found another village as good as De Kempervennen so we are going at the end of January for a midweek with family. This is costing us £200 for our 1 bed villa including food and ferry. It doesn't get much better than that.
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Not Specified |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs J Bayler |
| Overall
Rating: |
7/10 |
| Comments: |
This is a great place for active kids. We were slightly hampered by the weather as it rained a lot but even so there was a lot to do. The snow centre is excellent although pre-booking is necessary.
There was a good, well equipped sports hall with tennis, badminton. Table tennis etc and it was great to hire bikes and cycle around. The pool was fantastic and the water and air temperature just right. The little ones enjoyed the kids club too and the staff everywhere were polite and friendly.
Our criticisms were that the cottages were basic and a bit grubby - the curtains had moth holes and the carpets felt greasy, and the food in the restaurants was dull family fare - the type of frozen dishes prepared by unskilled staff with no culinary interest or abilities, and the drinks very expensive. Apart from that everyone had a great time.
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
May 2006 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr Tim Sampson |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
This opened up a whole new world for our family as we could not afford to do the UK parks in the school holidays. De Kempervennen was half the price to book and we spent a lot less money during the week too.
A little tip here - if you have Tesco vouchers, use them to get 4 times the value against a ferry or Euro tunnel trip.
De Kempervennen has a much smaller feel to it than the Elvedon Park (which we have been to a few times). For example, there are only about 5 badminton courts in the sports hall. This didn't detract from the experience though. The feel of the place is very friendly and welcoming and there is always stuff to do. The market dome is beautiful with birds and fish and the free children’s farm, swimming pool and play areas ensure that you don't have to spend a fortune to stay occupied.
Our daughter (just turned 7) loved the kids klub. She was looked after for 1.5 hours and came away with a t-shirt that she had coloured in. The cost? 4.95 Euros!
Eating out was reasonably priced and there was free entertainment in the evening. This is again unlike Elvedon where you have to pay for tickets to see the shows.
The only downside for us was that we had had a very manic few weeks leading up to our holiday and we hadn't got round to booking any activities in advance. Most of the stuff had already been booked up when we arrived. DO be sure to book stuff like High Adventure in advance!
The only question for us now is do we stick with De Kempervennen or try some of the other European sites. Decisions, decisions!
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| Board Basis: |
Room Only |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2005 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Not Specified |
| Submitted
By: |
Mr Ian J Holder |
| Overall
Rating: |
9/10 |
| Comments: |
Been to Dekemp three times now with the family (4 teenage boys) of all the Parcs I have been to, (Dekemp, De Emhof, Sherwood, and Oasis) this is the best, but unfortunately living in Lancashire it costs a fortune to get to.
Be it by ferry or air. Tried driving overnight to Stansted, using 2 cars for a very reasonable 5.00am Ryanair (Good old MOL) flight to Eindhoven. Totally knackered and coming back was worse. Another 5 hour drive!
What I like about the village is that it is so laid back, if the kids want to go down the slides all together then that's fine. Ok they have the usual notices posted around but the lifeguards take a more pragmatic view- hey! The kids are enjoying themselves. If you break a leg- then don’t come running to me!
I liked the snowdome, brilliant snow and a reasonable price> they do an all day ticket for not much more than the usual hour so the kids were in there all day ( other than returning to demand their lunch).
They also have a diving course in the lake( as well as a low cost taster session in the pool around 8.00am), whilst we didn’t have the time to do the full course, they were quite happy to do training for me and the kids for a day, including classroom work, an exam and then diving in the lake. Valkensward has a good supermarket, so if you have transport it is worth going there as the Pacmarket is expensive and closes very early, unlike in the uk, so don’t get caught out (especially as the required bottle(s) of vino collapso will be needed after a long journey with the kids).
The prices are around 25% less than the UK, accommodation, eating out etc. There was once a brochure that covered all the UK and European Parcs but this has now disappeared (cos the UK sites are now owned by a different company and would rather not publicise their European cousins) -- but you can book at www.ceterparcs.com which brings up the relevant European sites.
Hint if you ring the site directly it is cheaper as on line they add an additional hidden charge to send you all the confirmation paperwork in English
It was quite amusing to see a massive mother pig with all of her 10 piglets wandering around our patio; they tend to let them out during the day-- a bit different from the ducks of Sherwood!!
Overall:
Dekempervennen 9/10 (Eindhoven NL)
De Emhof 7/10 Amsterdam- ish (but it was the first and a bit too small)
Sherwood 8/10
Oasis Whinfell 5.5/10 expensive and lacks the ambience of the other original Parcs.
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Apr 2005 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Booked Independently |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs R Parry |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
Highly recommend De Kempervennon in Holland for a cheaper alternative to British Centre Parc sites. We paid £600 for Easter week for a 3 bedroomed VIP child friendly villa - only this price if booked through CPs own website - not tour op brochures.
Villa was clean, quality fittings, loads of household equipment provided including kiddies chairs, cot, crockery.
Park is flat so really easy for younger children to cycle round them selves. Ours especially enjoyed the hands on farm and baby goats and rabbits. Swimming pools were immaculate and imaginative. We let our eldest (4) go to a few playgroup sessions, which were superbly resourced and staff were all English speaking, friendly and energetic. These activities were less than 5 Euros per session. Food was also reasonably priced with lots of choice. All staff speak English very well. GO GO GO!!!
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| Board Basis: |
Self Catering |
| Date of
Holiday: |
Aug 2004 |
| Tour
Operator: |
Forces Holidays |
| Submitted
By: |
Mrs D Lack |
| Overall
Rating: |
10/10 |
| Comments: |
We went to De Kempervennan Center Parcs, Holland for a week long break in August 2004. Having been to 2 of the Center Parcs in England several times in the past we had an inkling of what to expect.
We were able to go to Centre Parcs De Kempervennan, with ferry crossing included, for £400 less than we could have gone to Elveden in England, less than an hours drive away!
The service by all was great and very friendly, the parc and the surrounding areas are great for cycling round, there is an indoor snowdome onsite which is a real bonus and although we didn’t get round to using the snow facilities as the kids didn’t have the right clothing and we would have had to hire it we are going back in 4 weeks time and will be better prepared!!
The swimming pool has a 'sunken galleon' that you can swim in and due to cleverly surrounding it with an aquarium you can come face to face with sharks - amazing!!!
My only disappointment is that the sausages and bacon aren’t what we were used to and a cooked breakfast in the morning never seemed quite the same - we are going prepared for this too!!
All in all i think the fact that we are going back again this month says it all - worth going back!!!
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Center Parcs De Kempervennen Reviews
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