From treehouses to tiny cottages, shepherd’s huts to yurts and glamping pods to safari tents, the magical New Forest is the perfect place to visit if you’re looking for a happy hideaway break.
Tucked away in one of these secret places, you’ll be able to chill, read a book, listen to your favourite sounds and connect to the peace and tranquillity of this ancient landscape.
Here are a few of our favourites…
For an African Safari Hut experience, check out Green Hill Farm Holiday Village near Landford in the Forest’s north. This accommodation comes with a bundle of luxe extras, including your own private decking and hot tub, a shower bathroom, a woodburner, robes, slippers and a hidey-hole play zone under the cabin bed area for the children.
Image - Green Hill Farm Holiday Village
They also have some adorable shepherd’s huts, as well as Forest Lake 19, a stylish, wheelchair accessible lodge, with lakeside views and plenty of space to unwind.
For something completely different again, take a look at The Bus Stop, the newest hideaway accommodation at the highly-regarded Red Shoot Camping Park near Ringwood, voted one of the UK’s best family holiday sites by The Guardian newspaper.
Image - Red Shoot Camping Park
Lovingly created by Bustopia from a genuine 2000 Dennis Dart bus, the accommodation has a host of quirky extras, including a stargazing panel above the bed and a fully-intact driver’s cab - so the kids can pretend they are driving whenever they like!
Red Shoot Camping Park is also home to other heavenly hideaways, including some beautiful river keeper’s huts. Similar in design to shepherd’s huts, they are equipped with a double bed, kitchenette, underfloor heating, and their very own picnic table, as well as stunning views across the Forest.
Also, in the north of the forest, you will find Forest Palms. Ideal for a sunny getaway, with their stunning terrace with sun loungers and a bbq at request, and their unbeatable location with direct access to the forest tracks leading to heathland, woodland, brooks and streams.
Image - Forest Palms
For cosy lodges, glamping pods and a yurt complete with king-sized bed, rugged floor and its own, private decking, head off to the aptly-named Back of Beyond Touring Park.
Just over the border into Dorset on the Forest’s western fringe, Back of Beyond also has two shepherd’s huts which have their own decking for sunny days and tiny, wood-burning stoves, for cosy nights. And, with 30-acres including lakes, a river and an over-18s only policy, you’ll find the calm and space to truly kick back.
For the ultimate hideaway experience, book yourself into one of Chewton Glen’s prestigious treehouses. The last word in luxury, peace and tranquillity - think wraparound balconies, hot tubs, marble bathrooms and underfloor heating - the treehouses are also beautifully private, as some of their extremely well-connected guests, have discovered.
Image - Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa
There are also two spectacular treehouses at Shorefield Country Park’s Milford on Sea site.
Soak up the surrounding views from your outdoor hot tub, escape the everyday and get lost in nature as you unwind in Silvertree House or Coppertree, which both sleep up to six guests. Alternatively, a smaller woodland accommodation called The Shrubbery, perfect for two, is also set within the treehouse area of the park.
Image - Shorefield Country Park
If you fancy a happy hideaway with bags of style to look good on the ‘gram, try The Esme and The Knightwood at Sandy Balls Holiday Village near Fordingbridge. With a retro Scandi feel throughout, Esme has a fresh, modern décor and a main bathroom with a bathtub for a proper soak. Knightwood sleeps eight and has two bathrooms, a private hot tub and a heated outdoor seating area, as well as a doggy shower to keep your furry friend clean.
Sandy Balls also has a number of other themed lodges, so prepare yourself for a laid-back, Manhattan vibe in TriBeCa, which boasts a modern oval bath-tub; Vista, which has stunning rural views plus its own hot-tub, and Zen, which exudes a tranquil, Scandi feel.
Image - Sandy Balls Holiday Village
If you’d like to be in a tucked-away cottage, have a scroll through these bijou rentals. St Mary's Garden Cottage is a secluded, period cottage in the romantically-named village of Lover in the Forest’s north. Open-plan, with a vaulted ceiling and log-burning stove, it’s perfect for a cosy break and has its own enclosed garden and patio.
Rose Cottage on the Cadnam Lodge Estate is right in the National Park area, set in 12 acres of private parkland which features a lake and a true wildlife haven, with deer, swans, geese and ducks. Another fantastic option of a place for a hideaway stay in this area of the New Forest is the lovely Bluebell Copse Cottages.
Image - Cadnam Lodge Estate
For a coastal hideaway retreat, try Sea Road in Milford on Sea. With several restaurants and pubs are within half a mile, you won’t be short of places to go, once you head out.
Our local holiday cottage agencies also have wonderful choices of places to stay. For a tiny and tasteful stay deep in the forest, take a look at Meg’s at East Boldre through New Forest Cottages. Built in 1909 as a stable, Meg’s is now a one-bedroom, single-story cottage in the grounds of the owner’s property and well within reach of excellent eateries, including the Montagu Arms in Beaulieu. Or, Short Stay Homes’ gorgeous Riverside Lodge!
Image - Short Stay Homes
Check out Hinton Admiral Escapes, who also have a selection of brilliant spots to base yourself at when you’re visiting the New Forest. Stay in quaint forest cottages, or for a quirky stay, book into their Railway Carriages!
*For more details on these and all our other happy hideaways, visit our accommodation pages!