Waxham Sands Holiday Park Reviews

Definitely coming back!

We had a fantastic stay at Waxham Sands (despite the weather). We loved how close to the beach the site is, so lovely to be able to wonder no more than 5 minutes and you arrive at the lovely beach. We saw several seals as well, swimming close to the shore, that was a real treat! On site facilities were modern and clean, even catering for our 4 legged friends with an outside shower! The pitches are large and flat which makes for easy set up of the van and awning etc. The kids loved the adventure park and us adults loved the quirky onsite bar for a cocktail or 2! The shop was well stocked and reasonably priced, handy for a few bits if you can't be bothered to jump in the car. All the staff we came across were friendly and genuinely welcoming, we really couldn't ask for more. All in all, it's a really well thought out set up and we will definitely be heading back in a few weeks' time when we may even be lucky enough to see the sun! Thanks again.

Test Run

This was a short stay to test a new tent before a potential family get-together of several tents. The site was well maintained and laid out. The staff were brilliant and helpful and an asset to the site. However, the toilets need more than 1 hand drier for the number of toilets in use. The main problem for us was the shower block. Just one block for men and one for women. Each contained only 4 showers, and one of these was broken in the women's. Bearing in mind, we went at the end of the season, so the site was only approximately 25 per cent full. Finding an empty shower was a non-starter. Such a shame as it's a necessity having spent time on a beach when you're staying in a tent. As I feel the site would be ideal for families, the shower situation would be important to them, and it definitely needs rectifying.

Site's response

Hello Roger, Thank you for your review. All of our facilities will be undergoing much needed upgrades while we are closed over the winter. Apologies for your experience on this occasion. Hope to see you back at Waxham again in 2024.

Lovely site

Lovely site, night warden extremely helpful. Showers could use an upgrade as I felt they were very dated. There was paint peeling from ceilings and cold water.

Site's response

Thank you Jay for your review. We are making the much needed upgrades to the facilities over the closed winter months. Hope to see you back again soon.

Lovely, quiet site

If you are looking for a dog friendly campsite, then this is it. We had a non electric tent pitch and you get a good sized space not to close to your neighbours, with plenty of space for 2 cars. You can't see the sea from the campsite, but a 2 minute walk across the dunes and you're on the beach which most of the time, we had completely to ourselves, it was beautiful. I highly recommend if you want quiet. The grounds and toilet blocks were immaculately clean and the food vans were an added bonus.

Site's response

Thank you for your review, Helen. See you back at Waxham soon.

Great campsite

Easy to find, right next to the beach.

Site's response

Thank you for your review, looking forward to your return to Waxham.

Camp

Lovely site, clean. Staff are great too. The only thing that spoilt it were people letting their dogs bark very early in the morning and late at night. We have two dogs and respect other campers. It was a shame that others don't seem to do the same.

Site's response

Hello Tracey, Thank you so much for your review. Apologies for the lack of respect from other campers that you received. We will be ensuring in future that the policies are adhered to by other campers. It is not acceptable for them to allow undue noise from their pets. See you at Waxham again soon.

First time in our campervan

This was our first time away in our campervan. Very impressed with the campsite. The site is really nice and clean. The shop was well stocked and staff were very nice and helpful. We stayed two nights and we're happy to just stay and paddle along the beautiful, sandy beach, watching the seals in the surf. The dog loved it. The pitches were a good size. We will definitely be booking again.

Site's response

Hello Gillian, thank you for your review. You're welcome back at Waxham anytime. Take care.

Lovely campsite

Had a wonderful time at Waxham Sands. Friendly, helpful staff, clean facilities, great location if you want a lovely, sandy beach, and safe for children. Added bonus of watching the seals swimming in the sea whilst we were on the beach. Nice play equipment for the children, although our grandchildren were so taken with the beach, they didn't get a chance to use it. It was our first visit but it definitely won't be our last.

Site's response

Hello Joanne, thank you for your review.

Fantastic

Had an amazing time. Everything you could think you would need, it's there. Great location with a sandy beach right over the dunes, fire pit, food stalls, shop. It was great. Only thing I would say is the showers has a lot of mould and a field to let dogs off the lead would be great. There is the dog exercise woodland area, but it's a bit difficult to throw a ball or frisbee around. Saying that, would still go back.

Site's response

Thank you Zoe for your review. Unfortunately our policies is that Dogs should be on leads at all times anywhere on park or the beach. Glad you had a lovely time. See you again soon.

Great, friendly site for beach lovers

Great find, I love the beach and I have found a hidden gem - I was hooked. Great for a morning swim. 2 minute walk and you're on the soft sand beach. Water was calm and shallow far out. Friendly staff, facilities good. Showers could do with a revamp but clean & always had hot running water. I'll definitely be back, great place to be.

Site's response

Thank you Diane, Hope to see you back at Waxham again soon.

Our stay

Fantastic clean site and beach, beautiful seals, clear water, fantastic for the dogs. Soft white sand, easy ride to Cromer etc. Would go again.

Site's response

Thank you William for your lovely review. Take care and see you again soon.

An amazing stay, well worth the travelling

From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by such a friendly and welcoming team. This was our first visit and we were given lots of information on the site and clear directions to our pitch. The pitches are a good size and well spaced. All the amenities were fully maintained and to a high standard. Very dog friendly with great dog walk and access to the beach. We will certainly visit again. Thank you.

Site's response

Thank you for the amazing review, we're so glad you had such a wonderful stay. See you at Waxham again very soon.

Our stay

A very pleasant stay and location was amazing. Toilets maybe need an upgrade. Cubicles a little tight, even for slimmer people.

Site's response

Thank you Judy for your review. See you again soon.

Campsite

It was just okay. Nice and clean but expensive and busy!

Site's response

Thank you for your review. All feedback is very much appreciated. Hope to see you back at Waxham soon.

Just okay and probably wouldn't use again

The site is in great location for the beach and sand dunes if you want to use the beach. Also, the Norfolk coastal path goes straight along the dunes, towards the area where you can go seal spotting at Horsey Gap. A little crowded and not much fun for the seals, unfortunately. The site is large and busy as it was bank holiday, so super crazy, with so many kids that were not really being kept an eye on by parents. We are a couple with a dog, so our visit was for relaxation and walks, but definitely not a chilled vibe here on a bank holiday, which is understandable and hard to find on any summer bank holiday. Reception and staff were great and seemed efficient. The toilets were clean near our pitch, but the ones near the safari tent communal area were not so clean, again mostly due to feral kids dropping toilet roll all over the floor and it getting mixed with sand and water. Just used the loo and got out of there. The ladies' shower block I used was very old and mouldy, and no way of locking my shower door. There was a queue, so had to accept the only shower that was free, and the ceiling was black, with mould on the floor and fallen off paint from the falling apart décor. This was the fastest shower I have ever had! I understand that the site will be upgrading this problem, which would make the site much better, as lots of the other facilities are great. The large safari tent is a great addition, with that being the only area on site that you might get Wi-Fi to work if you need it. We really liked food and drinks trailers that changed every night - lovely too with friendly staff. The on site shop was great too. All local things to see were easier to visit by van or car as there were no footpaths visible and very narrow lanes. Good dog friendly site and all dogs seemed to be on their leads and under control. I feel this site has a great atmosphere for families with children especially on a busy August bank holiday, but not for us and probably our mistake when booking with not enough research. It is not for a couple looking for a peaceful getaway in Norfolk to do some day trips and walks, as it really did sound like a loud school playground on an evening, especially in the safari tent, where we had a curry and a few drinks from the bar trailer. We would recommend the little boat trips from Horsey Wind Pump, National Trust run car park and windmill, as it's only down the road and a lovely day out to see the local wildlife on the boat tour. Helpful hint - if you are in a camper van, you may need your levelling ramps to pitch, as the ground was uneven but we nearly always need them on most sites anyway.

Site's response

Hello Charlotte, Thank you for your review. Our facilities will be getting the much needed upgrades over the winter months while we are closed. Unfortunately yes, we do get very very busy in the school holidays, which can be quite noisy with children playing. Our best advice would be to come out of the school holidays where it is very much more peaceful and quiet. Apologies for the experiences you had while staying with us. That is most certainly not the experience we wish our guests to have. We will definitely be looking into ways to make other improvements.

Not enough space for us

This site was busy when we visited. The location next to the beach was beautiful, but we were allocated a pitch in the centre of the site which we would never have chosen. Each pitch was just big enough, but felt we were far too close to other campers. It was a busy weekend. There was no room for our young daughter to run about in, something which we've loved and taken for granted with other campsites. If we could be sure to choose our pitch, then we'd possibly return but it at the moment, we won't be.

Site's response

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review, all feedback is very much appreciated and we look into all feedback to constantly improve our site, facilities and guest experience. We hope to see you return to Waxham again soon, take care.

Nice break

Very nice, well thought out, nice out of house bar & food. Nice shop reasonably priced. A comfortable safari tent, Wi-Fi & the communal fire pit is a great idea. But we have x3 dogs (1 was ill so stayed at home this occasion). I get why you have a 2 dog limit but my 2 are better behaved than most people's 1 dog. Would you rather camp next to 4 quiet, well behaved dogs or 1 that barks incessantly when someone goes by?

Site's response

Thank you for your review. Yes our policy is a maximum of two dogs, unfortunately. I am sorry you had that experience with someone else's dog. You would be more than welcome to let us know in the office and we would be able to go and speak to the owners of the dog.

Had a great stay here

Had a great stay here for the first two nights. Having shortlisted the site from others in the area based on no groups, stag hen do's etc. The last night, however 25th August 2023, there was a large gathering of people. The evening started with a massing of people at one camp pitch. Their kids playing across multiple unoccupied and occupied pitches. Anywhere but their pitch. This went on until 9pm and some of these kids were very young. Then, they were finally sent to bed and the adult's almost full on night club kicked off. The warden eventually came out around 11pm, 2 hours after site rules state all gatherings and noise should have ended. They seemed to just ask them to quiet down. However this unlicensed night club continued to thump out music, with people at this gathering, shouting over it and each other until midnight. Needless to say not impressed. Shame, because the first two nights things seemed to be under control, making for a pleasant first few nights.

Site's response

Thank you for leaving your review, I am so sorry you had this experience. I will be looking into this with our night warden. We do hope that this will not tarnish your view of Waxham and spoil any future adventures here. Take care.

Excellent site

First visit and will almost definitely visit again when possible.

Site's response

Thank you for your lovely review. See you back at Waxham very soon.

Absolutely fantastic family camping holiday

Check in. This was so easy, just pull into the check in lane you you get greeted by one of the happy members of staff. Gill greeted us with our welcome pack and talked us through where everything was and where to go and all the things going on during our stay. She was also knowledgeable about the area and helped us with an emergency vet. Pitch and facilities. The pitches are all a good size and well marked with the electrical hook up, easy to access. They are all equally flat and well maintained. We also liked that there were several toilet blocks, so no matter where you were pitched you had easy access to a toilet, drinking water and washing up facilities. The shower and laundry blocks are near the main reception, so easy to access, and they are all cleaned regularly throughout the day. The showers are lovely and warm, our little boy didn't actually want to leave each time he had a shower as they were "so lovely and warm". I've read that someone complained about the temperature and state of the showers, we honestly can't understand this as the water was always warm, the pressure was good and they were clean. Yes, you can see there has been some mould, but you can also see that this is cleaned and been treated. There was also an outdoor doggy spa to hose down your sandy dogs and shower for the humans to hose down their sandy feet, very handy! There are two parks, we only used the one by the main reception and it's fab. Plenty for all the children to play on and enjoy themselves. There is also a number of outdoor and covered seating areas around the park where they have different food and drink carts visiting each day. There is a timetable outside that clearly shows what is going to be there and at what times. The fire pit was also a surprise addition, you could also buy large marshmallows ready on long sticks to toast from the on site shop. These were extremely popular, just don't forget the wet wipes, lol! The book and beach library was a great addition, with plenty of buckets and spades etc for the kids to borrow during their holiday. The on site shop and reception were fab too. All of the staff couldn't do more to help, they were also really happy and friendly. The shop is very well equipped, they had thought of everything; from camping bits, toys, souvenirs, windbreaks, food, drink and well a little bit of everything. Location. Honestly can't beat it! The beach is literally right in your doorstep. Head to the corner of the site to the left of the shower blocks and there are steps that take you straight to the sea front. Within 5min of leaving your tent/caravan you can be sat on the beach or paddling in the sea. Not only that the seals come out to say hello, they swim along the shore line and are quite confident, they will even sometimes put on a bit of show for you by swimming around and waving their fins. They are so beautiful to see. Staff. We don't really know where to start! Absolutely every single person that works on this site are just wonderful people. They are always smiley, happy, welcoming and happy to help in anyway they can. They always make a fuss of the children and the doggies on site and nothing ever seems like too much trouble, they all work so hard. We want to give a huge thank you to Gill and Darcie. We had a rather scary experience and were very close to losing our little dog, Waffle. Thankfully due to Gill and Darcie's local knowledge, and quick thinking we got her into a fabulous vets down the road. After specialist treatment and an animal hospital stay, Waffle returned to us fighting fit. Waffle was a little famous by the end of our visit, with staff coming out to check on her and see how we were all doing after our scare. Their genuine affection and care made the difference in this holiday, what could have been devastating, was actually one of the best holidays thanks to these wonderful people.

Site's response

Thank you for the amazing review. We're so glad you had such a lovely time except for your little adventure with Waffle, who is the cutest little doggy by the way. We all loved him very much and so happy that he was ok. You and your family are welcome at Waxham anytime. All the very best, Kate.

Great beach access

Fantastic location for beach lovers.

Coming on nicely

The site and the team at the site are fantastic. The only few qualms I have with the site were the cleanliness of the loos. They were brilliant at the start of the day, but as the day progressed, they got quite smelly at times and the lack of toilets for men was quite poor. If they added more toilets and cleaned then more regularly, that would hit the spot. There was also a lack of showers really, with 8 showers for male and 8 for female for the entire site and the closing of them during certain times made it madness at times. I think the info site gives could be better, like details on local hospital, doctors, supermarkets and local attractions would be ideal, as there was nothing given to us on arrival and due to poor signal, it was difficult to find these things for ourselves.

Site's response

Thank you for your review. Our cleaners work extremely hard with the upkeep of the facilities, unfortunately, not everyone takes care in using the facilities which give our cleaning team such a hard job. The cleaning team are regularly in and out of the blocks all day and the Warden takes over the duties in the evening. I'm so sorry you found at times the blocks to be unsuitable. We will certainly look into this. We hope to see you return to Waxham again soon, all the best.

Our stay

Great location right onto the beach, food vans on an evening is a great idea, kids park is good and the shop is very handy also. It is however very expensive to say we were camping. The cleanliness of the toilets and showers really let this site down, more so the showers. The washing up area looks like it never gets even a wipe down. Because of the cleanliness of the facilities and the expense of the stay, we would not return to this site or recommend.

Site's response

Thank you for taking the time to leave your review. Our cleaners work extremely hard with the upkeep of the facilities. Unfortunately, not everyone takes care in using the facilities which gives our cleaning team such a hard job. The cleaning team are regularly in and out of the blocks all day and the Warden takes over the duties in the evening. I'm so sorry you found at times the blocks to be unsuitable. We will certainly look into this. We hope to see you return to Waxham again soon, all the best.

Amazing place

Amazing place with unique facilities and beach few minutes a way. Staff were very friendly and polite as well.

Site's response

Thank you for your wonderful review. So happy that you had a lovely time. See you again very soon.

Wonderful stay!

The stay here was lovely, the facilities were great and the campsite is right next to the beach which is fab! The store is well stocked, the sites large and the staff are lovely. Thank you for a great stay, we would definitely stay here again!

Site's response

Thank you for your lovely review, see you back at Waxham again soon.