THE recipe for the perfect kids’ holiday?
Take a site with dozens of activities, from soft play to heated indoor pool, archery lessons to body zorbing.
Add in climbing walls, fencing, laser clay-shooting and karts.
Mix with a glorious sandy beach, with rolling dunes which stretch for miles.
Sprinkle generously with end-of-the-pier-style amusement arcades, fun-fair rides and crazy golf.
And the extra special ingredient for a fun break? Cosy accommodation, with optional hot tub.
Welcome to Hemsby Beach Holiday Park — a proper treat for all the family.
Just north of the Norfolk seaside town of Great Yarmouth, it offers something for everyone.
If you can tear the little ones away from all the excitement on offer, there is also so much to explore nearby.
Reggie, 12, and Stanley, nine, were thrilled to get up close and personal with the wild creatures at Thrigby Hall Wildlife Gardens.
Wide-eyed and nervous, they stretched out alongside a huge CROCODILE lying menacingly on the other side of the glass wall.
Posing just inches from tigers and monkeys, they briefly forgot their upset over the forced excursion beyond the holiday park.
The zoo has a jaw-dropping array of animals to coo over, from leopards, red pandas and gibbons, to porcupines, meerkats and otters — and tree-top walk-ways offer great vantage points.
Other nearby attractions include the National Trust’s Elizabethan House Museum, offering, among other things, a real treat for the children — a dress-up room with period costume and armour.
Or the Merrivale Model Village is a fascinating theme park with garden railway and penny arcade.
But such is the fun to be had back in Hemsby, it makes for a quieter life staying closer to the holiday home.
The site’s Quarterdeck Entertainment Complex hosts family-friendly shows each evening to send the kids off to bed with a smile.
Bingo is a firm favourite each night and the little ones are encouraged to join in the singing and dancing, while cheering the cabarets and star acts.
Special visitors this year include The One And Only singer Chesney Hawkes, former X Factor favourite Stevi Ritchie and Pop Idol runner-up Gareth Gates.
There are kids’ clubs to keep the younger ones amused during the day — where you can let the staff take a turn supervising them, in the pirate ship play area or on the Trim Trail with its fun outdoor exercise equipment for both young and old.
The park’s lively Yacht Club has pool tables, a climbing wall and snack bar.
There is also a high-ropes course, darts, bowling, soccer, canoes, sea scooters, kayaks, snorkelling and Water Walkerz.
It all adds up to a breathless array of events to keep everyone amused.
And if you are booking a short stay rather than a week’s break, it is well worth arguing before arrival over who is doing what and when.
There are comfy caravan options — or extravagant lodges installed in a recent multi-million-pound upgrade.
The park is just a short stroll from the thrilling neon lights of the arcade and amusements along Beach Road, offering everything from 2p slot machines, through to major prizes, which will keep nine to 99-year-olds entertained for hours.
And further along from the chaos of the candy floss and fast-food outlets are the untouched and sublime sands of Hemsby Beach — an oasis of calm beyond the Oasis amusement hall.
It may have been a chilly May afternoon, but the boys were still determined to go for a paddle — and they wouldn’t have swapped it for Brazil’s Copacabana beach.
Perfectly placed, Hemsby Holiday Park is an ideal family break, sure to leave the kids wanting another visit.
STAYING THERE: Hemsby Beach Holiday Park is one of Hoseason’s Go Active sites.
A two-bed Platinum Lodge Spa costs from £369 for a four-night midweek break or £465 for a three-night weekend.
To book, go to hoseasons.co.uk or call 0345 498 6589.
