This shop is great for all outdoorsy stuff, you can get fleeces, tents, walking boots and even…read morestuff to make your clothes waterproof. The prices are reasonable and the layout is good as the store is a nice size. Only annoying thing is the mirrors in the shop tend to have something like a mannequin or rail in front so you cant see what stuff looks like unless you use the changing room.

Excellent Holiday park offering camping, caravans and flats throughout the year. During summer…read morethere's a large refurbished bar in the 18th century manor house with entertainment and hot food. It has fantastic views over West Cowes and the Solent which can be enjoyed from the bar or even the swimming pool! A 5 minute walk away for the chain bridge to West Cowes it's an ideal base for any Island holiday. Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY7TjRZ-CsE

The kids have just come back from camp here. Great place with fantastic facilities. Quiet woodland…read morefor them to run riot in. I went down in the morning to help with breakfast and ended up helping all day.

The cottage is trully lovely. Set in the heart of the South Downs and within a five minute walk of…read morethe Cricketers it provided us with a perfect home from home.

My family and I (2 adults, 2 teen girls) stayed here April…read more4th to 13th 2013 (9 nts). Arriving Thursday night found a comfortable looking cottage & generous food hamper, great for first dinner. We were staying here to be in a family wedding (3 in the house in the bridal party). First morning, Friday, No Hot Water. No hot water for 3 DAYS! Initially rang owner's phone number, as per the 'reference' book in cottage & emails. NO ANSWER for 2 days!! Meanwhile extremely busy with before, during and after the wedding. No contact from owners, despite several messages left & constant calling. Only once email sent, were we called, with an excuse of being overseas. Poor excuse 2 days to check a phone? Being o.s. is not a new situation for them. If an owner cannot be reached, another emergency number must be left! Monday hot water and an important outdoor light was fixed. Thank Goodness! Other issues: dodgy oven (cooker) meant unexpectedly cold dinner while hosting the new in-laws and a rock hard double bed mattress plus an unguarded grate in the darkness of the car parking area outside the front door caused my elderly mother to fall did nothing to help us enjoy this place. Our frustrations of being ignored, enduring a lack of basic amenity such as hot water or working equipment, during an already stressful time of being part of a wedding and my mother's fall did not sway much with the owners. We only asked for 2 nights refund (2 days of no hot water) but received less than one night's accommodation refund, with a follow up email, BLAMING US for 'wear and tear' and for not communicating with them!! Truly unbelievable. They also said that we had more than 4 people in the house, which 'was not permitted'. We had a family dinner on Friday night and parents stayed in on Sunday afternoon. It is outrageous that we are expected to ask permission for visitors to visit. Only our family of 4 ever stayed in the cottage. Very Poor effort of customer service. A pretty spot to stay, but just because you pay money, do not expect Any care given.

We stayed here last year. The cottages are all very well appointed and very very close to all the…read moremain Sandown attractions so it's only a quick stroll. The cottages/chalets are clean and have everything you need to be comfortable. The beach at Sandown is amazingly white and clean and very expansive, there are plenty of things to do in Sandown, with it's mini golf, zoo, dinosaur museum and wonderful shops and pier. There are two mini golfs, one outside and one right on the pier which is indoors and really good fun. There are plenty of eateries and lots of gift shops and if you go at the right time of year in August you will get to see the parade which is just awesome with bands and floats etc. Highly recommended.

Upper Chine Holiday cottages are situated in Shanklin, one of the most popular holiday destinations…read moreon the Isle of Wight. Situated on the main road about 2 minutes walk from the edge of the old town going away from Shanklin the cottages are ideally located for holiday makers of all ages. The complex (converted in part from a private girls school) comprises a number of cottages (mostly terraced although we didn't notice any noise from adjoining properties) of varying sizes and then a number of apartments. All properties have their own balconies and/or patios. We stayed in a 2 bed cottage and I was very pleased with the space and the fitting out of the cottage. Everything we could have wanted for (and more) was provided and the whole was spotlessly clean. There were a few areas that would have benefited from a little bit of re-decoration but nothing that was really wanting. The properties were double glazed and appeared fairly secure. The pool, although small, was clean and well maintained. There was a small Jacuzzi. The pool lacked any changing facilities but its situation meant that this wasn't really an issue. There is also a sauna and beauty treatments were available on request. The gym comprised a running machine, a couple of bikes and a multi-gym. A £5 deposit was payable for a key for the multi-gym (the peg that separates the weights). The children's play area was well equipped with Little Tykes climbing toys (and slides), a play house and a lego table. A pool table, air hockey and table football (the latter free of charge) were available for older children and adults. Outside, there was a splash pool, ideal for children, and a tropical garden with loungers and shades. The outdoor play park was rather overgrown and the only part of the facilities that was poor with much maintenance being required. The tennis court was adequate and reasonably maintained and balls/rackets were available from reception. If you'd forgotten your bucket and spade these could be borrowed free of charge from reception also!

Redfunnel ferries operates Isle of Wight crossings from Southampton to East Cowes…read more To get the review started Red Funnel is much cheaper than Wightlink the other ferry provider to the Isle of Wight by around 50% ... The ferries are much nicer (as nice as ferries can get) with a cafe serving hot, fresh food and a coffee shop and bar. The staff are also very friendly. So if you are planning to go to the Isle of Wight I would recommend Red Funnel for price and service.

Cheaper than I remember. If you're flexible on times that you can travel then you can pick up…read moretickets for a reasonable price. Definitely cheaper than Wightlink (presumably because it's a longer crossing and most people just want to get there). We paid £46 for a car and four people on a five day return over half term week. We booked at the end of August and I was pleasantly surprised at the price, because I'm sure last time I went (a few years ago) it was £70. The negatives are that the ferry 'terminals' are poor quality. There is a coffee bar on the southampton side, but apart from vending machines there was nowhere to buy a quick bar of choccie or similar. East Cowes was truly miserable, but then it was raining and dusk at the time! Nowhere to get a hot drink while waiting for the ferry though. The crossing itself was uneventful, hardly going to compete with the cross channel ferries, but given it's a short hop then you can go prepared with reading material/things to entertain the kids etc.

Is it me, remembering the 80's and early 90's with rose-tinted glasses, but the Church Farm of…read moreyesteryear was a 5 STAR review and the Church Farm of the 10's is only a 3 star review? Well, yes it is. Part of the original charm of Church Farm was that it was rough and ready in many places, but that made it INTERESTING. Not the plastic coated, sanitised drek that it is today. To be fair, the changes have been made to improve Church Farm, but I miss the old-school nature of it. Great facilities, nicely landscaped in most places, but it is becoming more and more chav-tastic with cheap week and weekend deals being offered. But... who am I to be such a snob. Go ahead. Enjoy.