_Great British Holidays ‘This summer we’re seeing even more families taking short breaks,’ say Haven Holidays, who have reported an increase of almost 10% in bookings for three or four night holidays compared to last year. And recent research carried out by Britain’s biggest holiday park operator revealed that 49% of respondents were shunning overseas holidays to treat their families to traditional British seaside fun. Haven say, ‘most of our customers choose a destination that is less than two hours drive from their own home – which means they can be on holiday and enjoying themselves in less time than it takes to check in for an overseas flight. We have 35 family holiday parks around the UK so it’s easy to find somewhere within easy reach.’ Unsurprisingly the good weather has encouraged people to stay in the UK with a marked increase in bookings when the sun is shining. Despite the increase in numbers Haven still have some availability during the summer holidays. You can book a three night break from August 20th from £299 at Combe Haven near Hastings or Primrose Valley on the North Yorkshire coast. Click on www.haven.com or call 0871 230 1900 for details and bookings. So what do families love best about Britain? The most popular destinations this summer are the big sandy beaches of the South West, with the attractions of Blackpool remaining a firm favourite. Haven’s Perran Sands on the North Cornish coast has direct access to Cornwall’s largest dune system and first class surfing. It’s also directly on the South West Coast path and close to the Eden Project. Devon Cliffs, near Exmouth overlooks the aptly named ‘Sandy Bay’ and is the first landmark on the Jurassic Coast. At the other end of the World Heritage Coastline, Rockley Park is a haven for watersports with boat storage and launching facilities directly into Poole Harbour. And it’s within easy reach of Bournemouth’s popular beaches and the sandy nature reserve at Studland. Blackpool is always a treat for families. This year Haven have introduced a Space Bowl to the outdoor swimming pool at Marton Mere to provide even more thrills without leaving the park. And packing up your own tent or hitching up your own caravan is a great choice for cash conscious families. Touring customers on Haven parks get access to all the park facilities and entertainment included in the cost. A three night August Bank Holiday break on an electric touring pitch at Marton Mere costs £171based on four people – a similar break will cost £114 at Blue Dolphin on the North Yorkshire coast. Call 0871 230 1933 or click on www.caravancamping.co.uk __________________________________________ Competitions We always get a great response to our competitions. So far we've given away War and Peace Show tickets, Legoland passes, trip to France with lunch, dvd's, playstation games etc. Don't worry if you didn't win this time, we'll be bringing you more competitions very soon! We've got some excellent new competitions coming up soon in the paper, keep watching! Our current competition is to win a super hamper! **************************************************************** THE SHEPWAY ADVERTISER - Shepway's Local Advertiser !! Shepway Loves It ! ____________________________________________________________________ General disclaimer: Outside links on our site are given in good faith however you will appreciate that we have no control over the content of external sites.