Shamba Holidays
To Find Site:- From Ringwood continue on A31 towards Ferndown. Watch
out for the roundabout with the Little Chef on the right. Continue on
A31 and at next roundabout go round as if returning to Ringwood but then
turn immediately left into Eastmore Lane which is signed to Shamba
Holidays. From the main road the
campsite it is about half a mile. The partly non- made up lane
is narrow in places but there are passing places it can also be a bit
bumpy.
Shamba Holidays is situated a few miles south of Ringwood on the edge
of the New Forest where you receive a warm welcome from the site staff.
The site has an open aspect with all grass pitches, about 150 in total,
which are of a good size and reasonable firm even in wet weather.
Pitches are set out in longish rows and are usually allocated on
arrival. The site also has some seasonal pitches but these are placed on
one side of the site. There are no statics on site. Water and Electric
points are placed at regular intervals between the rows of pitches. The
only grey waste disposal points are at the chemical emptying point or
the motorhome service point. At the latter there is no facility to
replenish fresh water tanks. The electrics are rated at 16 amps and
connections use standard CEE17 blue connectors. The centre point of the
site is the main reception block. Not only does it contain reception and
a small shop with quite a comprehensive selection it also houses the
bar/restaurant although the latter has limited opening hours. The
building also contains the toilet facilities and associated facilities
like laundry and dish wash. The toilet showers are of a very high
standard and this is reinforced by the fact that they have won Loo of
the Year. The
centre piece of the site is the covered swimming pool which can be used
during the season the site is open. The roof can also be retracted in
hot weather. For children, in addition to the pool, there is a small
adventure playground next to the pool. For older children there is a
large kick about area away from the pitching areas. There is also a
large dog walk area. The site normally has a WiFi system but
unfortunately the system was down during our stay. On the plus side
mobile reception was very good for those using their network as a WiFi
source. Being not far from the main A31 there is some traffic noise but
it’s more of a background hum which we did not find intrusive. We stayed
here in early May and the site was far from full so it could make a good
alternative to some of the very busy Club sites. The site accepts both
Camping Cheques and ACSI during the low season but my understanding is
that the acceptance of Camping Cheques might be in doubt for next year.
This site is a convenient stop for exploring either the New Forest or
the coast towards Bournemouth. The site has an information hut with lots
of information on the many local attractions. For shopping there is a
Waitrose and Sainsburys in Ringwood a few miles from the site. For those
not wishing to use their own transport there are bus services from the
main road into Ringwood where other services operating over a wider area
run from. The Woodman pub on the A31 is about a 15 minute walk from the
site and offers good value meals.
