A HOLIDAY at Center Parcs offers a beautiful paradox. Shut the door to your lodge, pour a glass of wine and sit in front of the fire staring out at the woods and you feel like the only person for miles around.

But clamber onto your bike and cycle ten minutes through those woods and you are in the heart of a bustling centre, filled with more facilities and activities than you could cram into two months of holiday.

Every aspect of the holiday is perfectly thought out so you can do what you want, when you want, whether it is relaxing or getting VERY active, socialising or sitting in solitude.

The first pleasant surprise of our break was how quickly we got to the site. From Devon it's a short hop along the A303 to Longleat and we managed it very easily.

Having pre-booked our entry online we passed quickly through the gates, stopping only to pick up the keys to our lodge and a friendly welcome.

We spent the morning exploring parts of the site and the Plaza, a mostly covered area packed with shops, restaurants, guest services and leisure facilities.

Unable to choose from the dozens of places to eat, we picked up fresh produce from the large on-site shop, the Parc Market (very reasonably priced as well as offering a huge range) and enjoyed an impromptu picnic sitting next to the indoor pond, filled with Koi.

In the afternoon we swam in the impressive Subtropical Swimming Paradise. The indoor and outdoor pool facility features swimming areas, a wave pool, a lazy river, areas for babies, toddlers and older children, whirlpools and outdoor areas as well as flumes and an outdoor 'white water rapids' slide.

We visited the pool at least once, and sometimes twice a day, enjoying the late-night opening for a swim under the stars.

We got into the lodge at 3pm, and the whole family was well-impressed, in fact so much so they asked if we could move in permanently.

This is a true home away from home, with everything you need for a break. A well-equipped kitchen, large and luxurious bedrooms, a relaxing lounge with large TV, music system and open fire, a warm bathroom and a patio with barbecue.

There is a good range of accommodation at the park designed to suit all needs, from basic to luxurious – which comes with everything including a hot tub and a games room.

The villas are so well equipped you can spend as much or as little time as you like there, easily cooking for a large family, or just using it as a base to explore and enjoy the park.

In the evenings the choice of where to eat is almost overwhelming. You can, of course, eat in the villa, either by ordering groceries or takeaway food delivered to your door, or enjoy the vast range of restaurants from diner and cafe to Italian and Spanish, Indian or Chinese to milkshake bar and sports pub.

We enjoyed luxury burgers and a children's buffet at Hucks American diner the first night, perfect for families with its play areas. During the week we also tried the Pancake House (twice, just to make sure!) as well as many other places and we were never disappointed.

Staff at the Pancake House went out of their way to accommodate our wishes, mangling the menu to provide what the children wanted, and providing a ready supply of colouring sheets, crayons and balloons.

Working off all those calories is not difficult, with activities involving everything from football and cricket to climbing and archery; falconry, horse riding and dancing to yoga, diving and sailing.

The range is staggering and offers something for everyone. Booking is best done online in advance of arriving, but you can book on site using terminals in the plaza.

Finding information about what events are on when wasn't particularly easy on site; we asked at Guest Services but they advised us to use the nearby terminals – in the end we did and it wasn't a difficult process, but sometimes you just want to browse.

Some of the activities don't come cheap, but others provide excellent value for money, so the choice of how much you spend is really up to you.

The site is fairly large, and cars are banned, so bikes are the best way to go. You can take your own, but most people hire from the facility on site.

There's a lot of choice, and we started with basic bikes for us, a child seat for our one-year-old and a child's bike with stabilisers for our five-year old. They thoroughly enjoyed it, and towards the end of the week we traded in for a buggy attached to the back of the bike and they enjoyed being towed about in a carriage even more.

The terrain is fairly easy going, and we even managed to pull the carriage up some steeper inclines to enjoy the views of the 'cascades' waterfall and getting back up from the Jardin des Sports.

This is the hub of the 'active' activities, a vast sports complex, next to a lake complete with beach, with indoor and outdoor sporting events, from pool and roller skating to messing about in the tree tops and a huge zip slide.

There are also restaurants and bars. We enjoyed roller skating as well as sitting in the sports bar while the children enjoyed the indoor play areas.

Half-way through the week the children decided to park us in the Aqua Sana Spa while they spent three hours in childcare.

They thoroughly enjoyed the Ofsted-inspected and very secure areas designed for three different age groups, with entertainment, face-painting and play and craft activities while we 'endured' the World of Spa.

Very, very luxurious, the spa features 20(ish) separate areas designed to relax you to the extreme; varieties of heat and humidity, relaxing music, and aromas of essential oils will all have you melting away. The Turkish Hammam floods your senses with rich menthol scents while the Japanese Salt Steam Bath is the ultimate in relaxation. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it and took a few minutes to adjust – but next time we go this is the first place I'll book into, twice!

Aqua Sana also offers a range of treatments including massages and facials, just in case the spa doesn't relax you enough. Thoroughly enjoyable.

A break at Center Parcs is not one holiday, it's an endless combination of experiences you can pick and choose from to make your perfect break. It is ideal for families, friends, couples or anyone because you can choose to build into it whatever suits you best.

Set aside any pre-conceptions and try it. You won't be disappointed.

Prices start from as little as £199 for a break, which can work out at just £12 per person per night – which includes accommodation, access to park facilities and free use of the Subtropical Swimming Paradise.

You can book up to 18 months in advance and the earlier you book, the cheaper the price. Avoid school holiday times to avoid higher prices (and a busier park) and pick and choose your activities carefully to get the best value.

While we never really felt the park was crowded, at times you may need to queue (for example in some restaurants). Booking activities is always advisable and the changing facilities in the swimming pool were sometimes very busy so if you want a quieter life, avoid peak times.

If you've never tried Center Parcs before, take care – a holiday here is sure to be highly addictive and you'll end up going back year after year.

All information is available at www.centerparcs.co.uk or call 08448 267723.