Le Bois aux Daims
Center Parks Les Bois Aux Daims Review
It’s fair to say that Les Bois Aux Daims gets its character from the nature that embeds it. Whilst many parks have their share of wildlife, the residents here are a little more obvious. The name, Les Bois Aux Daims roughly translates to the forest of deer (not ladies as I believed for 6 months). It’s not guaranteed, but at this park you’re likely to have the resident deer greet you on your patio regularly which is quite magical.
Dissimilar to some other parks, the design of this one feels a little more organised with regards to parking and cottage layouts. If you can image a central square mile area with a number of cottage villages on connecting paths, each with a near by car park - that’s a good way to think of this park. What this helps with is discouraging the use of cars on site as car parks are near enough and it also helps ensure cottages aren’t a long distance from the focal area for activities.
Whilst the park does have a lake for canoes, pedalos and mini boats there is really only one large body of water which can be helpful to safeguard younger kids.
The Action Factory has two large kiddie play areas - it’s not exactly soft play but more structured with slides, nets, poles etc. Certainly enough for hours of entertainment. Also inside the Action Factory is a climbing wall and stage for Orry shows etc.
Just outside the Action Factory are more climbing frames etc, all of really good quality and suitable for broad age ranges.
Working your way around to the other side of the Action Factory is an animal farm with peacocks, goats, rabbits etc etc. This is all free but there are of course options to spend your money here!
Having a closer look at the iconic dome, you’ll quickly realise it’s not dome shaped! A little unusual to start with but it does have a similar feel with plants, fish, birds etc. It’s actually probably a little more accessible than the usual dome because it’s all on one level rather than steps and stones.
In the dome (that’s not a dome), you have the usual supermarket with its over inflated prices, a gift shop, a wine shop and a bowling alley. You’ll notice that the restaurants are different to other parks:
Buffet
There is le marche’ buffet which is very similar to Evergreens. There’s a good variety of salads and starters, some main courses but I would say the grill is a little limited. It’s basically beef or lamb cooked on demand. There is also a fish stand and your usual nuggets etc for kids. Pudding choices are generally good too, offering ice cream, fruit, chocolate fountain and sweets etc. possibly more variety than main course!
Drinks included In the cost are lager, wines, soft drinks etc and there really was no limit, although it was bar service rather than self service which on occasions generated a bit of a queue.
Cocoon
This is a cafe style restaurant. Food was very nice but a very limited menu. You’re basically getting hamburger or club sandwich and chips.
The Italian Garden
This is your pizza pasta restaurant. My only reservation about this restaurant was not all the staff spoke English which meant navigating the menu sometimes was challenging. We can all read pizza pasta in French but if you have pre paid with meal tickets it was very unclear which items were included.
Bistro
This was a little more challenging to book. It tends to get sold out to corporates and additionally you cannot use the meal package vouchers there.
Quick
How ironic. In the main plaza area is a fast food outlet called Quick. Whilst the food tasted good don’t expect it to be quick or fast!! You order on touch screen and then wait….. quite a long time. The chicken burger type meals are called ‘Longs’ - maybe not coincidentally, this is how long you’ll be waiting. Plan well if you have hungry impatient mouths to feed.
Crepes
Over at the Action Factory you can also order crepes. Don’t expect these to be a carefully crafted delicacy. My suspicion is these come straight out a packet with cream (or your filling of choice) squirted on top.
What else to mention?
The park is a moderate size but because of the design it’s probably more achievable to navigate on foot. Most cottages are probably no more than ten minutes walk from the centre. Bicycles are popular though and available for rent. The golf cart buggies are also very popular at the park too, but keep your kids close by to shield them on shared paths from bikes and carts.
Offsite?
It’s a fairly remote site. You’ll need a car for sure to get to near by attractions. There’s lots of cultural stuff but if you’re looking for an Efteling style theme park Futurascope is about an hour away.
How to get to Les Bois Aux Daims
Whilst there are airports in Poitier and Nantes which a number of UK airports now have summer routes to, you’re still going to need transport to the park which is at least an hour away.
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Recommended from facebook group Center Parcs Just for Brits:
Much nearer you'll also find Bioparc Zoo which is just 25 minutes away.
Slghtly further away is Terra Botanica which is a beautifully themed botanical park with rides and shows for kids.
Somewhat cultural is Puy du Fou - a spell-binding family park with stunning attractions. You'll need to drive a litte further still for this one at an hour 20 minutes.
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I found driving from Caen was between 3 and 4 hours depending on time of day and your preference on use of tolls (about 35 euros). It’s an easy drive, but if you take the toll free road don’t expect an abundance of places to stop and eat, especially at unusual hours.
The overnight ferry is quite convenient from Portsmouth as you wake in Caen about 0630 and can reasonably expect to get to the park by 1030 ish. Cottages won’t be ready until about 1600 so take a day bag to use the pool etc. Be aware, restaurants can be busy on change over days so plan your meals accordingly!
Signature Feature
I’m not sure what I’d declare as a signature feature of this park as it has a lot of hidden gems to find. Right in the centre is a nature reserve allowing you to watch weasels, birds, hogs, deer etc. you can do this at ground level or explore from a tree top trail
Other outdoor sports include zip lining, tree top adventure trails, tennis, biking, crazy golf etc.
Aqua Mundo
This Aqua Mundo is like the German Shepherd Dog of pools - it’s not the most brutal, not the most pristine, nor the largest or even the prettiest, but it’s a very good all rounder.
The centre focal point as always is the main pool which has a couple of fountains, waterfall and wave machine timed with each other. The waves certainly aren’t the greatest compared to other pools but maybe that’s ok - it just means the toddlers don’t have to evacuate every 30 minutes. From the pool you can take the lazy river to the outside pool which is fairly deep water that is also a bit choppy due to the various features. The allure of this pool is in the summer you can really enjoy the outside, soaking up the sun. The pool is furnished with deck chairs and umbrellas if you’re more into relaxing, but as mentioned earlier, it’s deep water so you’ll need to keep non swimmers close by. Also at the outside pool is a wide slide. It’s about 3 by 5 metres and there seems to be no limit as to who can ride. If you slide you can ride! This is also where the Aqua Tube flume exits to which is another nice way to transition from the inside pool.
If we head back inside you have a tower with 4 big flumes. The Turbo Speed is a steep short flume you ride on your back where you barely touch the surface. Minimum age is 12 and at 140cm tall.
Then there’s the Disco Slide, a medium difficulty flume you ride on a tube either solo or dual. The flume is fat with coloured rings for a cool light effect. It’s not the most thrilling, but it’s certainly fun to do with a friend. It has a minimum ages of 8 years but younger would probably enjoy it!
Similar to the Disco Slide is the Cobra. Same thrill, same approach, same restrictions.
Finally the Aqua Tube is one you ride on your back and end up outside. Ironically this is possibly more disco like than the disco slide! As mentioned earlier, it’s fun because you end up outside ready for the wide slide. It’s got a minimum height limit of 120cm although I’ve seen smaller enjoy the ride!
The hidden feature of this Aqua Mundo is the notorious rapids and that’s because they go by a different name and hardly sign posted at all. The less eagle eyed may never even spot them. At this park it’s called the Rivier Sauvage. It’s fun enough and you may end up eating someone else’s foot if you’re not careful but it’s certainly not up there with the like of Het Heijderbos. If you’re unlucky you might get a bruise or two but you can sling the kids or even ya mum down this one.
This Aqua Mundo is a pretty good all rounder for the mid range kids too. There’s a pool with a climbing wall ledge on it. It’s not really challenging but a bit of fun.
There’s also the snorkel pool where you can dive down to see the fish the other side of the glass.
The final thing to write home about is the toddler slide area, splash pool and sand pit. Some fairly safe, inoffensive flume slides suitable for younger kids next to a splash park area with some even safer slides ! There’s also a sandpit. Not thrilling but a safe area to sit back and watch the little ones have fun.
I almost forgot! If the flumes and slides aren’t quite thrilling enough for your taste, you can do an evening 45 minute session for 45 minutes where you kit up with a helmet and get to do the flumes differently. The rules are relaxed and you can generally go down groups at a time, frontward, backward, sideways or whatever. Set yourself challenges, mission and crazy stunts. It’s best done in a group but there’s no reason why you can’t go solo and join others. Highly recommended at least once.
Aqua Mundo Overall
Slides
Rapid
Good for Little Kids
Good for Big Kidz
Cottage Reviews
Getting the right cottage is a big part of your holiday. Some people like to be near the action and accessibility is important, whereas other prefer to be more remote and enjoy a stroll. Wherever we can get first hand reviews of cottages we'll aim to list them below to help you make the right choices for your holiday.
Find that park!
Address
route Des Trois Moutiers, 86120 Morton, France
FAQs
Can I leave the park during my stay?
Yes, but the real issue is getting to your car which might be parked far away
Can I leave my car outside my lodge or cottage?
Nope. Unless you ask for exception you’ll be politely asked to move it to the car park?
Will I see deer?
Deer are very common here. Likely!
Is this Center Parcs hilly?
No. Les Bois aux daims is super flat. Great for cycling or walking.
What’s the Rivier Savage?
It’s the rapids!
What’s the Aqua Mundo?
Center Parcs Europe’s term for swimming pool complex -translation Water World
Are pets allowed in the park?
Dogs are allowed but there are specific areas for off lead exercise. Not all lodges allow dogs.
Is Swimming included in the cost?
Yes - swimming is always free at Center Parcs main pools.
Can I bring my own food and drinks into the park?
Some parks are more strict on this than others especially if they have their own restaurant open
Is there parking available at the park?
Yes, there is ample parking space available at the park for visitors but cars are normally not let in except change over days for safety.