We've recently had our family holiday, 75 miles away in Longleat Forest staying in a Woodland Lodge at Centre Parcs.

A relatively low carbon holiday, all four of us travelling (a fairly short distance) in one vehicle and then parking it up in the car park and using the land train or our feet to travel around the site, though probably most people use bikes.

It's a forward-thinking design which could be used for future town planning. A carpark at the edge of the holiday village (or town) and all amenities easily accessible by walking, biking or free public transport.

We swam every day, the kids enjoyed some of the other activities and we played badminton as a family. I sat in the forest. Listened. Observed. Rested. We saw a muntjac deer right outside our window, rabbits from the land train and a heron on the lake.

Centre Parcs has many eco-friendly credentials including forcing people out of their vehicles. You literally have no choice, they're not allowed on the site once you've unpacked. There are recycling bins everywhere, bars of soap wrapped in paper in the lodges along with an eco-brand of dishwasher tablets. A huge improvement would be facilities to refill water bottles as we have here in Exmouth. I saw none at Centre Parcs whereas in our town there are water refill stations near the train station, at Sideshore, in Foxholes carpark and outside Rockfish.

Of course you could holiday much nearer to home and we have in the past. We've camped at St John in the Wilderness, Castle Break on Woodbury Common and Forest Glade near Cullompton. We have rented a bell tent at Ladram Bay then returned another time and stayed in a static caravan. Alternatively, of course, you can stay put at home and have a staycation enjoying all Exmouth has on offer. Maybe you could leave the car at home and explore on foot, bike (you could hire one from The Bike Hut on the seafront or borrow an ecargo bike from Transition Exmouth) or take advantage of the £2 single fare cap on buses.

Whatever you are doing, I hope you are having a lovely summer and remember to take your reusable water bottle with you!

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