New Forest Activities
New Forest Activities
5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
New Forest Activities provides you with fun and enlightening outdoor experiences. Perfect for getting active in the New Forest National Park. We provide activities for a wide range of people and organisations. Our activities are perfect for Individuals, Couples, Families, Team Building Events, Stag & Hen Parties, Kids Birthday Parties and Social Events. We also run custom programmes for youth organisations and schools. Activities include Battlefield LIVE infra-red combat games, Canoeing & Kayaking on the Beaulieu River, Cycle Hire, Archery, High Rope Adventures, Bushcraft and Team Building Challenges.
Beaulieu, Hampshire, England
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
1,281 reviews
Excellent
1,200
Very good
65
Average
8
Poor
3
Terrible
5
Carn W
London, UK203 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
Our Canoeing experience along Beaulieu River went off to a great start from the moment we were greeted.
The safety briefing was very clear and Ellen (our guide) made us feel very comfortable and eager to get going.
Beaulieu River is a lovely setting. The water is calm and ideal for first timers.
Ellen’s knowledge and passion for the surrounding area shone through. She also did a great job telling us about experiences offered in the winter months (Halloween and Christmas in particular).
We very highly recommend recommend New Forest Activities to anyone visiting the area.
A special shout out should also go to our second tour guide Prim (the Collie/Labrador cross) for being such a good dog ;-)
The safety briefing was very clear and Ellen (our guide) made us feel very comfortable and eager to get going.
Beaulieu River is a lovely setting. The water is calm and ideal for first timers.
Ellen’s knowledge and passion for the surrounding area shone through. She also did a great job telling us about experiences offered in the winter months (Halloween and Christmas in particular).
We very highly recommend recommend New Forest Activities to anyone visiting the area.
A special shout out should also go to our second tour guide Prim (the Collie/Labrador cross) for being such a good dog ;-)
Written September 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We appreciate your detailed review. We are happy that you had a great time with us. Thank you for recommending us!
Written September 24, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Maur C
Basingstoke5 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
We had a very enjoyable afternoon being taught the basics of archery with Adam last week. He was a fantastic teacher, was very patient, a great communicator and also good fun. He made sure everyone was safely loading and firing and brought a fun competitive edge to the session too. Would definitely recommend trying this out - my 9 year old grandson is now keen to join lessons at our local club. Thanks Adam, we had a brilliant time. 😁
Written August 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your very kind words. We are happy you had a great time learning archery with your grandson. Looking forward to see you and your family again.
Written August 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
David K
109 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
The last time we kayaked they kids were kids and we had them in a double kayak. My wife wasn’t a big fan acting as a boat taxi but we had been with New Forest Activities on a kayak tour before and enjoyed it so convinced the family to do it again.
Great trip with the 2 guides. All details from booking to arriving and following the new normal was easy. Very mixed group and the pace of the trip meant that the whole of my family enjoyed it. Pace was not hard to keep up with. Safety was number one and never felt anyone in the group was at risk.
Thank you for making everyone on the trip feel comfortable. If I was to have a gripe and this is not your fault, other persons on the trip should have at least been near a kayak before (the trip does say some experience of kayaking) not a complete beginner. Also if someone has a medical condition then they should clearly state it. Guides did a good job in managing the situation but they should not have been put in that situation.
Great trip with the 2 guides. All details from booking to arriving and following the new normal was easy. Very mixed group and the pace of the trip meant that the whole of my family enjoyed it. Pace was not hard to keep up with. Safety was number one and never felt anyone in the group was at risk.
Thank you for making everyone on the trip feel comfortable. If I was to have a gripe and this is not your fault, other persons on the trip should have at least been near a kayak before (the trip does say some experience of kayaking) not a complete beginner. Also if someone has a medical condition then they should clearly state it. Guides did a good job in managing the situation but they should not have been put in that situation.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for visiting us again and for sharing your experience. We are glad you had a great adventure with us!
Written August 28, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Claire S
Southampton, UK2 contributions
Feb 2022
I booked as a family to do Battlezone for my son’s birthday. On the New Forest Activities website it is advertised as suitable for families. A week before we were due to go the company phoned us up to say there was not enough people booked on to the session so asked if we could reschedule to another day, which we did.
When we turned up on the Saturday we found that there were many different children’s parties booked on this day. My husband and myself would have been the only adults taking part among about 30 children that looked aged between 8-12.
We spoke to the company on the phone before the activity was about to start to explain we felt this was socially awkward as we were the only adults could we have a refund they said no but to fill in a refund request form.
The 30 children were split into 2 groups ‘red’ and ‘blue’ group. They then took part in several Battlezone games. Again as many the parents were watching the games we realised it would not have been appropriate for us to be going round taking part in a children’s activity.
Had New Forest Activities informed me when they asked us to rebook that we were the only adults taking part I would have brought 2 children along in our place to accompany my two children who took part.
Since then the refund (£50) for the 2 adult tickets, which we never used has been denied despite several emails to the head of marketing and customer services.
I would advise anyone to think twice about booking this activity as a family in case you find yourselves in the same situation as we did.
When we turned up on the Saturday we found that there were many different children’s parties booked on this day. My husband and myself would have been the only adults taking part among about 30 children that looked aged between 8-12.
We spoke to the company on the phone before the activity was about to start to explain we felt this was socially awkward as we were the only adults could we have a refund they said no but to fill in a refund request form.
The 30 children were split into 2 groups ‘red’ and ‘blue’ group. They then took part in several Battlezone games. Again as many the parents were watching the games we realised it would not have been appropriate for us to be going round taking part in a children’s activity.
Had New Forest Activities informed me when they asked us to rebook that we were the only adults taking part I would have brought 2 children along in our place to accompany my two children who took part.
Since then the refund (£50) for the 2 adult tickets, which we never used has been denied despite several emails to the head of marketing and customer services.
I would advise anyone to think twice about booking this activity as a family in case you find yourselves in the same situation as we did.
Written February 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us your review. We’re sorry to hear that your experience with us was a negative one.
We do very clearly state on our website that our open BattleZone sessions are made up of both families and kid's parties. When you were initially contacted to rebook your session, there was still space on the session available for other families to book on as well. It’s worth noting that we do not run kid's party exclusive sessions.
To compare our open sessions to another activity, think of it in comparison to a trampoline park whereby the sessions are generally filled with families, children, and kid’s parties, all of which can book on to open sessions.
In this instance, we wouldn’t have deemed your tickets as unusable, and we don’t believe that any bystanding parents would have judged you in any way for spending valuable time with your children. Just yesterday in fact, we had a session similar to your own whereby watching parents actually asked to take part and were booked on to the session there and then because it looked so fun!
We’re confident that had you taken part in the activity, you would have had an absolutely wonderful time with your children.
We do also offer our 100% satisfaction guarantee, whereby if you DO take part in an activity (even just for a short period of time!) but you don’t enjoy it, we are able to offer you a full refund. However, as you refused to take part in the activity at all, you did unfortunately not qualify for this.
We were however very pleased to receive your comments to us by email that “your children enjoyed the experience very much, and that the two instructors that ran the session were very organised and enthusiastic”.
In this instance, we do believe that this has been handled fairly but we do appreciate your comments nonetheless.
Written March 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
HeatherMcC
6 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Family of 4, did archery in the morning, Mia was lovely, knowledgeable and patient, she made the session fun, challenging our newly learned skills and also competitive. Back at the office we enquired about kayaking which was booked for that afternoon by another friendly member of staff, discount including for booking a second activity 😃.
Our kayaking session was great fun, none of us particularly experienced but not to fret as Ben looked after us ensuring we were safe and happy, he shared stories about the area and chatted to everyone along the way, all in all it was a great experience and we would all highly recommend booking these experiences.
Our kayaking session was great fun, none of us particularly experienced but not to fret as Ben looked after us ensuring we were safe and happy, he shared stories about the area and chatted to everyone along the way, all in all it was a great experience and we would all highly recommend booking these experiences.
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for such a positive and detailed review, we're so happy to hear you enjoyed your time with us so much that you booked again! Both our office and instructor team loved having you, and don't hesitate to visit us again in the future.
Written July 25, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
MICHAELA H
Lincoln, UK277 contributions
Jun 2021 • Couples
My partner and I did the canoe trip with Tom and Imogen yesterday and had a fab time!
My partner was a little concerned about his shoulder as a few weeks before he had dislocated it but they both were very helpful and consistently through the trip made sure he was ok and comfortable.
We did the family canoe trip so a lot of people there with kids and what we did really notice was that both Imogen and Tom were really big on safety. They checked all the kids life jackets one by one and spend time making sure the kids all felt comfortable and were wearing the right size life jacket.
They guided us through the river and we had regular checkpoints so that people who wanted to go faster could and then wait for a few others to catch up which was really nice.
They have lots of information on the trip as well so I learnt a few things.
Bring plenty of water on the trip in summer as it gets hot out there and sun-lotion! We brung both luckily.
Wear clothes you might get wet in or bring a change of clothes/towel just in case for the car
Fab afternoon thank you
My partner was a little concerned about his shoulder as a few weeks before he had dislocated it but they both were very helpful and consistently through the trip made sure he was ok and comfortable.
We did the family canoe trip so a lot of people there with kids and what we did really notice was that both Imogen and Tom were really big on safety. They checked all the kids life jackets one by one and spend time making sure the kids all felt comfortable and were wearing the right size life jacket.
They guided us through the river and we had regular checkpoints so that people who wanted to go faster could and then wait for a few others to catch up which was really nice.
They have lots of information on the trip as well so I learnt a few things.
Bring plenty of water on the trip in summer as it gets hot out there and sun-lotion! We brung both luckily.
Wear clothes you might get wet in or bring a change of clothes/towel just in case for the car
Fab afternoon thank you
Written July 22, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you SO much for an amazing review, we're so glad you had a great time with Tom and Imogen and we'll be sure to pass on your kind words. Fab photos as well. Please do visit us again, perhaps when the shoulder has healed!
Written July 25, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Debbie F
1 contribution
Apr 2021 • Family
From the moment we arrived we could see everything was very clearly organised, the staff were genuine and kind. Jake was a brilliant host, made all of us feel welcome and took a genuine interest in making sure everyone had a fun time. 10/10!
Written April 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
10/10! What a lovely review and thank you for the 5 stars! We really appreciate your feedback and will certainly let Jake know he was brilliant.
Hope to see you again soon!
Written April 18, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Getaway646201
2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
The family canoeing was excellent! From the very start it was easy to book and the communication was great! Callum was our guide on the day and he was helpful, friendly and very good with our two kids (4 years and 23 months). He expertly instructed us, pointed out the wildlife and filled us in on the local area. The 1 1/2 hours was perfect for the kids and only flew by because it was so much fun. I can’t recommend them highly enough, will definitely be using them again!
Written August 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wow, thank you! We're so glad you enjoyed your Family Canoeing session so much and we can't wait for you to join us again.
Written August 16, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
fellatthefirst
London, UK45 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
We had a very enjoyable time Kayaking! Myself and two children (10 and 8) really enjoyed our time on this activity. We had a bit of rain and wind but it just added to the adventure and the children were very excited about the whole thing for the rest of the day. I have to make a point of saying that the two group leaders were absolutely outstanding giving very clear instructions and informative facts as we paddled along. I would highly recommend the kayaking and would definitely do it again given the chance.
Written August 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We're SO glad you had a fab time with us, even in the wind and rain! Do visit us again, and we'll pass all your comments on to the instructors.
Written August 11, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
T L
London49 contributions
Aug 2020
We hired Kayaks for 3 hrs in the afternoon.
On arrival the centre was busy but appeared to be well organised operation.
Parked up we were kitted out and ready to go about 20 minutes later. After checking at least 3 times that we had read the small print (felt very much like they were covering their backsides for some reason?) .
Heading down to the river were met by another chap who again was very keen to point out the rules and regulations; all very pleasant but seemed too interested in not upsetting the locals / land and boat owners than their customer's enjoying the experience.
There was no warning of the significant mud/sand banks when water levels drop with the tide; padding upstream and getting stuck kind of soured the end of the trip but was no great disaster.
The busyness of the area and number of boats out led to some unpleasant petrol fumes also meant little wildlife to be seen.
No one was in any way unpleasant and it was a nice setting but I would not return.
On arrival the centre was busy but appeared to be well organised operation.
Parked up we were kitted out and ready to go about 20 minutes later. After checking at least 3 times that we had read the small print (felt very much like they were covering their backsides for some reason?) .
Heading down to the river were met by another chap who again was very keen to point out the rules and regulations; all very pleasant but seemed too interested in not upsetting the locals / land and boat owners than their customer's enjoying the experience.
There was no warning of the significant mud/sand banks when water levels drop with the tide; padding upstream and getting stuck kind of soured the end of the trip but was no great disaster.
The busyness of the area and number of boats out led to some unpleasant petrol fumes also meant little wildlife to be seen.
No one was in any way unpleasant and it was a nice setting but I would not return.
Written September 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi TL,
Thanks for your review. I'm glad you were given lots of information by the team around how to manage yourself on the water. This is because Beaulieu River is:
- A SSSI - Site of special scientific interest. It's a highly protected sanctuary for wildlife, particularly wading birds.
- A designated Nature Reserve, managed in part by Natural England, with access tightly controlled.
- The only privately owned Estuary in the UK, owned & managed by Beaulieu Estate.
- Home to some of the most expensive properties in the UK, coming with direct River access and views.
Our license to hire boats on this stretch of river, requires our clients to listen carefully to our conditions of hire and behave accordingly.
Unfortunately in recent weeks some have failed to do this, putting our business at risk. You'll appreciate then the need to be very vigilant in this regard.
The maps you were given and the team would have advised you where and when to paddle for the best experience. I'm not sure how in spite of all of this, you still manged to paddle yourself onto the obvious mud banks. This is the first report we've had of someone having this issue and it is being investigated. We shall review our maps and briefing and see if we can improve.
Finally if your experience was really not up to scratch, why then did you not ask for a FULL REFUND under our 100% satisfaction guarantee? Maybe it seems you didn't listen to or read all that 'small print' after all.....
Please contact the office if we can help you further.
Written September 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Where do I book the canoe trip. It’s there availability in thenEaster hols?
Written April 3, 2019
New Forest Activities
Beaulieu, United Kingdom
Hi there, thanks for your enquiry. You can visit our website to find out about and book any of our canoeing trips. We have plenty of availability throughout the Easter holidays.
Alternatively, if you'd like to speak to a member of the team, give us a call on 01590 612377. We look forward to hearing from you!
Written April 3, 2019
The main office is in the centre of Beaulieu, just up the road from the post office, on the other side of the road. That is where bike hire starts from, and bookings etc.. You go down to the edge of the river, on the way to Bucklers Hard to pick up the canoe tour. 15 min walk or a short car trip.
Written September 3, 2016
It's piece full, all you can here is the perfect nature when your walking. It's an amazing day out for kids/adults. I'd highly recommend you to go it's perfect :)
Written July 27, 2016
paul S
Beauvais, France
Bonjour,
Je suis étudiant en école d'ingénieur en agriculture en France et je cherche un stage dans une ferme anglaise.
Seriez vous intéressé pour me prendre en stage sur votre ferme?
Cordialement.
Paul Samin
Etudiant 2ème année - spécialité Agriculture - Promotion 158
Institut Polytechnique LaSalle Beauvais
19 rue Pierre Waguet - BP 30313 - F-60026 BEAUVAIS Cedex
Written April 1, 2016
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.