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This was our second visit to Shamba, but last time was in the off season and it felt completely different to when it was full in August.
The pitches are big, but there are some mighty big tents about, and also the lack of any meaningful segregation between pitches does make it feel a bit cramped when it is so full. If I managed this site, I would plant some hedges between the rows at least.
The bar is very nice, although we didn't eat, and the pool is nice but it does get really busy at this time of year. The playground seemed to be full of teenagers most of the time.
The shower facilities are excellent and always spotless. I like the fact they have a radio playing in the facilities.
Was a bit surprised to find a family sleeping in the laundry room one morning, I can only assume they had an issue with their tent.
Excellent family site. We have children 6&8 and this was great. Lovely pool area, playground and shop-which could have been a little better stocked (perhaps some pastries and more bread). Loo blocks were perfect-cannot say one bad thing about them.
Friendly staff and very nice bar/cafe and games room. Large open field for football / dog walking / kite flying / rounders match at the back of the site.
If your looking something not too basic, but not all singing all dancing Shamba is the one.
Situated perfectly for Poole, Bournemouth, Christchurch and the stunning new forest this site gave us our most relaxing(and sunny!)caravan holiday so far-everything said was about 20mins car ride away.
Please note-when you look on googlemaps at this site it is only the bottom field. The large field you see to the north of the site is another adult only park.
Visited this site over a bank holiday week-end found everyone frendly and helpful, I was shown to the pitch and the staff helped turn my caravan on to my pitch by hand as the roadway was narrow not allowing you to manoeuvre the van on the car into position, the pitch size was a good size.
The site had a small bar and had entertainment when we were there. A indoor swimming pool was available and was not over crowded on the times that we used it.
There was a children's play area that was crowded when we were there.
The site facilities were very clean and well kept, this site is ideal for touring the new forest area and using it as a base or just relaxing in, When you turn off the main road it is a bendy track to the site for about 2500 meters but with care it is not to bad.
I feel that I am re-iterating what has already been reviewed but there has been no review this season so feel it appropriate to submit my review.
Positives:
Very clean facilities
Superb staff on site - really helpful
Small clubhouse, nice place for a drink if too cold to sit out.
Swimming pool (would have benefited to have 1 section open as it was very warm this weekend)
Friendly campers (this weekend anyway!)
Nice park for little ones
Dog walk area
Entrance road not half as bad as anyone mentions.
Not so positives!:
VERY cramped site, I was initially shocked but it wasn't as bad as I thought as our neighbours were so lovely. What did have more impact was the noise resulting of you all being on top of each other. Noise that you can't control (kids crying, whistle kettle boiling, dog barking etc) so I am not moaning but noise is less intrusive on sites where pitches are more spread out.
This site is aimed at families with younger children I believe. The park shuts at 9pm and the children on their scooters / bikes are asked to put them away at that time. This left me with two boys a little bored. I am not saying these rules are unfair as it does result in a quiet and safe sight but despite the small but perfectly formed games room my two would rather be riding around for another hour or so.
Would I return ? no. Would I recommend to those with kids under 8 ? yes if they don't mind a small plot. The pool and bar were really great addition to the site as you often have to go to larger sites to get such facilities and prices are often higher.
We have just held a rally for ten caravans here in half term week. Well where do I start, a well hidden gem I would say. Apart from the road leading to the site which is not their fault, I can find nothing wrong with the site.
The toilet and shower blocks were immaculate and very well heated, as it was a little on the chilly side. Immaculately clean all the time despite the rain. Swimming pool was brilliant and entertained the children of the rally for many hours over the week.
We found the staff to be extremely nice people and nothing was too much trouble for them. We will definitely be returning at some point in the future and would definitely recommend to friends. Thank you very much Shamba
This was our first visit to this site and had booked Sunday to Thursday with our caravan - we had such a great time that we stayed a few more days and finally left on the Saturday instead.
I am sure that in the height of the season this is a very popular and busy site, we spent our time here away from school holiday time and it was lovely and quiet.
We had the swimming pool to ourselves first thing in the morning and visited many places in the area during the rest of the day.
Staff at this site are very friendly and make you feel very welcome.
There is a small shop on site, only really stocks the essentials that we all run out of from time to time - If you are after a supermarket the nearest one is only a mile or so down the road along with plenty of great takeaways and restaurants.
The toilet/shower blocks are amazing! Under floor heating, so no drafts or chill in the air - all spotless and well looked after - there are plenty of toilets, some toilet cubicles with hand basin and some shower cubicles with hand basin and toilet too! spoilt for choice.
All showers and wash basins are push button, so a great way of avoiding wasted water.
There is a bar that the staff have open on a Friday and Saturday night - this is a real treat too - very spacious and they also serve food too
I have noticed some negative comments about the bumpy track leading up to the site - It really isn't that bad, we have seen much worse! There is a speed limit of 5 mile an hour, to be honest you wouldn't want to go any faster anyway as there are a few blind bends. There is nothing that the owners of the site can do about this road as it does NOT belong to them, all that the owner of the road will allow them to do to try and make it better is to fill the holes now and again. So they do try their best.
We think that this site is lovely and if you are planning on stopping anywhere in the New Forest then this could be the place for you. Plenty for children to do with the swimming pool and small play area on site. Children using the pool must be accompanied by an adult at all times as there is not any life guards for the pool
So long as you give the correct measurements of your caravan when booking your pitch then you will find the pitch sizes are just perfect too.
I personally am unable to find anything negative about this site to tell you. We had a lovely week away from home and will certainly be booking another break here next year and following years to come.
We thank everyone at Shamba for such a lovely week and look forward to seeing you all again next year. :-)
My family and I visited this site at the beginning of August and we had a fabulous time.
We were greeted by a very friendly member of staff, who walked alongside the car and showed us where to pitch our tent. We were given £40 vouchers to spend in the restaurant as we had booked a 7 night stay.
The campsite was very quiet and the facilities were immaculately clean. The washing up area was completely enclosed and was NEVER anything but spotless. The showers were always tidy and there were quite a few of them so we never had to queue. The clubhouse had a disco on the Saturday night and the DJ entertained the kids brilliantly.
I couldn't fault the staff, especially when my 14 month old son had a nasty accident and burnt himself. They were so helpful at such a distressing time. They called an ambulance for us and even came to see us the following day to check he was ok.
There is lots to do in Bournemouth and my kids had a really lovely time. I would definitely recommend this campsite, 10/10
We had the the 1st week of the school holidays with wall to to wall sunshine. My daughters and 5 grandchildren were on the next pitch.
The pitches were of a good size (we had asked for a large pitch as the tent is huge)
We were given a very warm welcome and despite it being a busy Saturday, nothing was too much trouble for the staff.
The facilities were immaculate and were constantly being checked over and tidied up.
The play facilities for the children were very good and for the older ones there was a large field for ball games at the rear of the site.
The swimming pool was quite busy and my only niggle was that although it had a sliding opening roof, this was only opened by 2 sections in what has been the hottest week of the year! Couldn't really understand this.
Children enjoyed the games room and we all had a couple of pleasant meals in the clubhouse. Road noise is minimal. The shop was a bit expensive but was great for emergency supplies.
This is a nice, well run site and I would definitely return.
only used the pool once on the first day as we had lots of outdoor trips planned but this was nice a little busy at times,
son loved the little play area meet some lovely new friends while playing,
didn't use clubhouse again just because we sat and chilled at van after long days out
Just a shame the tent people next to us needed to use to part of our pitch too! letting kids run around with frisbee and water pistols while trying to eat our breakfast outside and hanging all their clothes over the water/hook up point
The best thing about this campsite is undoubtedly the toilet block, which is excellent - roomy, clean and heated, even in July, but then this July has been like winter! The showers are push-button but with a good temperature and flow, and the cubicles are large and comfortable.
We used this site because the C. C. New Forest site
Was closed due to flooding. In fact parts of Shamba were also under water and cordoned off, and most of the other pitches and pathways were extremely wet, but we were just glad to find somewhere that would take us!
The site is basically just a large, level field, with no trees or hedges between pitches. We had plenty of room, but then the site was less than half full. I can imagine that when full it might feel a bit cramped.
We didn't use the swimming pool, so couldn't comment on it. The clubhouse was closed when we were there (mid-July) except at weekends, and a fellow-camper we spoke to was disappointed by this. Presumably as soon as the school holidays begin all facilities will be open every day.
The staff were quite friendly, but obviously a bit disconcerted by the weather conditions, which were the worst they'd ever known.
My main complaint would be that there was no lighting near the pitches, only in the vicinity of the main buildings, so a torch was necessary to find one's way to the toilet block, especially as there were a lot of puddles on the paths.
For us the greatest boon was that it's one of the few UK campsites in the Camping Cheques scheme, so we only paid £13. 95 a night, which is reflected in my high score for Value for Money. I'm not sure it would be worth the full price which I believe is over £30.
We have just spent the Easter weekend at this site as part of a rally in the front field. As mentioned in previous reviews, the site is spotless and the facilities are exceptionally clean and well designed.
Unfortunately the water in the ladies was tepid to cold for the duration of our stay, and fluctuated throughout a shower which was certainly a harsh wake up first thing in the morning! I mentioned it to the Reception staff and the response was one of disbelief. Someone went off to check it but I was advised that it must be OK as I was the only one who had mentioned it. The staff are attentive and quick to stamp out any unacceptable behaviour - we felt a little as if we were constantly under scrutiny.
The pool is simple and clean. It is unlifeguarded, but there are often announcements over a tanoy system re no diving or jumping and how persistent offenders would be asked to leave. There were signs stating no diving and no jumping in.
The bar was clean and drinks were average for an on site clubhouse.
The children's playarea is nice. Fenced in and wood chipped with a couple of climbing frames with monkey bars, see saw and swings. However, there is very little space for general 'play' as the site is packed with pitches or access roads. It really needs to lose a few pitches to increase the sense of space.
The pitches themselves are a decent size, but are only separated from each other by a scorched line in the grass. As mentioned previously, the site has a strict unit/car/unit/car policy, and therefore you are really packed in. There are no access paths between pitches, so you have to cross other people's sites or walk 'the long way round' to get to the bins / loos / shop / pool / playground.
You can hear a small amount of road noise (no leaves on the trees yet) but we soon tuned it out.
Finally, the approach to the site is not great. It is next to a kind of scrap yard - old HGVs, containers, telegraph poles and all overgrown. The setting, proximity of pitches and unwelcoming nature of the staff made us feel very uncomfortable, despite the 'wow' provoked by the loo block.
We would not return as a family, which is a shame as the site is fantastically located for the brilliant Moors Valley Park and the beautiful Kingston Lacey.
Management response: There is a separate 12 acre playing field available away from the pitches for kite flying, ball playing or safe cycling etc
The point about the showers being tepid was investigated fully and no faults could be found with the temperature.
We have just returned from another brilliant weekend at Shamba.
We have a family tent for the two of us plus two children. I cannot understand the comments about pitches being small as we had plenty of room for the tent and car and to sit out in the lovely weather (pitches were approx 10m square we were told which seemed about right).
The children enjoyed playing games in the back field and riding their bikes.
It was a very busy weekend but we had a meal in the clubhouse which was good value for money.
We were glad there was somewhere to go in the evening because it did come cold at night, but it is only March.
The facilities and swimming pool are spotless and warm and the staff very helpful.
A real family site. Booked again for a few days at Easter when they have fun and games for the children.
Great welcome, allocated a more than adequate touring pitch, a fantastic toilet block that you could (literally) eat off the heated floor, and good fish and chips at the restaurant. However, the CC rally numbers rather took the chef by surprise as we had to wait nearly an hour for our food. A bottle of reasonable Pinot Grigio was £12. 95.
The swimming pool was uncrowded, clean and properly heated. It poured down on Sunday, but drainage was fine. The visit was marred somewhat by a site-wide electrical failure on Saturday night. To their credit, the Park Manager and his team kept at it until the problem was solved late in the evening.
We store our caravan at Riverside Park in Hamble, a sister site: the wardens there were keen to hear about their 'Rival' after our visit! I think that they envy the swimming pool!
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Common Questions
Is Shamba Holiday Park child friendly? YES, it accepts children & has a playground View all facilities
Does Shamba Holiday Park have a swimming pool? YES, there is a pool on site View all facilities
Where is the nearest shop to Shamba Holiday Park? There is a shop on site View all facilities
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
All reviews and comments are the personal opinion of the review author only , and as such do not represent the view of the UK Camp Site.co.uk.
The facilities shown on this website are a guide only, and you should check with the campsite direct before making any booking. The UKCampsite.co.uk will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions
Tent Pitches 
Caravan Pitches 
Motorhome Pitches 
Small Campervans 
No Glamping Units 
No Statics for Hire 
No Statics for Sale 
No Seasonal Pitches 
Electric Hookups 
Hardstanding Pitches 
No Fully Serviced Pitches 
Families Welcome 
Not Members Only 
Rallies Welcome 
Not Naturist Site 
Dogs Welcome 
No Dogs Allowed 
Groups Welcome 
Toilet Facilities 
Hot Showers 
Washing Up 
Bathroom 
Baby Changing Facilities 
Laundry On Site 
Drinking Water 
Disabled Friendly 
Chemical Disposal 
No Battery Charging 
No Gas Exchange 
Recycling Facilities 
No Kitchen Facilities 
No Freezer / Fridge 
Motorhome Point 
Wifi Access 
Shop On Site 
Bar On Site 
Restaurant or Cafe or Takeaway On Site 
Kids Playground 
No TV Room 
Games Room 
Evening Entertainment 
Fishing <1 mile 
No Wild Swimming 
Indoor Pool On Site 
Outdoor Pool On Site 
Horse Riding <1 mile 
Cycle Hire <5 miles 
Golf <1 mile 
No Tennis 
Beach <10 miles 
Watersports <10 miles 
No Boat Launch 
No Sea Views 
Not Working Farm 
No Campfires Allowed 
No Waterside Pitches 
Public Transport <1 mile
Offroad Dog Walk On Site or Direct Access 
This was our second visit to Shamba, but last time was in the off season and it felt completely different to when it was full in August. 
