On holiday with….Family Van Berckel!
Which accessible escape have you recently visited?
Major’s Lodge at Watatunga Wildlife Reserve, Watlington, Norfolk
Can you tell us a little about your family and your accessibility requirements?
We are ‘Family van Berckel’ and the Founders of the charity, AbleStay (soon to be launching London’s first fully accessible holiday home). Our eldest son Kit has quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and is a full time wheelchair user. When booking an accessible property, I’m always looking for open plan space, parking, accessible bathroom and an extra bedroom for Kit’s PA. We like to be ‘doing’ on our holidays and to be stuck in the countryside really wouldn’t work for us, so there needs to be local activities and attractions.
Thanks to Accessible Holiday Escapes, I stumbled across Watatunga and it was fabulous. In the words of Ollie, our 11 year old, ‘Mummy, that was the best UK holiday we’ve ever had’! High praise indeed.
What were your favourite aspects of this accessible escape?
Major’s Lodge, is an exceptionally unique and special stay. The lodge is on the perimeter of their stunning 170 acre wildlife/safari park, full of endangered deer and antelope. On our first day, we were given a guided tour in their x6 seater off road electric buggy (they also have a wheelchair trailer). We were quite literally gobsmacked at the beauty of the reserve and it was teaming with wildlife. It felt just like being on safari in Africa, poised with binoculars at all times!
Major’s Lodge guests are provided with their own buggy for use during the week and one can access the reserve at any time during the day and come and go as you please. Each ‘drive’ into the reserve is different and rewarding.
Any tips for future travellers on accessibility at the escape?
I’m pleased to say that the lovely owners of Watatunga/Major’s Lodge, Ed and Anna, will move heaven and earth to make your stay accessible and comfortable. They have very detailed accessibility guide on their website which should be observed before booking. I hired in a profiling bed for Kit and Watatunga took delivery and set the room up for us.
The team at Watatunga made every effort to make our stay super special and they really have put their heart into the Watatunga project, and you can feel it. We left with our hearts full having experienced something so unique and with memories that our family will treasure forever.
Can you recommend any local accessible attractions or activities?
We visited Sandringham, Her Majesty’s Country Retreat. Brilliantly accessible and we were treated like royalty! The house tour is a must (pre-book online). We strolled through the beautiful gardens and by the lakeside. All very accessible, easy parking and if you are not able to walk far, there are regular buggies to drive you around. The shop is lovely and I could have spent a fortune. Instead, I came out with x4 Sandringham embossed wooden spoons! https://sandringhamestate.co.uk/plan-your-visit/accessibility
What are your top 3 tips when planning for an accessible escape?!
Prior planning and preparation is seldom wasted!
- Research, research, research
- Direct communication with property owner about particular access requirements
- Packing lists, I have master packing lists for different types of holidays (Center Parcs, weekend short break, week long UK holiday, beach holiday, activity centre holiday, hospital visit). I am the queen of lists!
A big thank you to Jo and the awesome Family Van Berckel for sharing their holiday experience and tips with us. To find out more about Major’s Lodge and Watatunga Wildlife Reserve you can follow these links:
https://accessibleholidayescapes.co.uk/escapes/majors-lodge/
https://www.watatunga.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Majors-Lodge-Access-Guide-2021.pdf
To find out more about the Van Berckels and their accessible escape story, just follow this link!