Camp Hamarøy

auto-translated: We stood there all alone and booked a premium pitch by the water. The friendly lady in the restaurant asked us to check in via the website. The sanitary facilities are getting on in years, but clean. We knew the site and would stop again when passing through.

auto-translated: There are definitely two sides to this site.

The location is truly fantastic: right by the water, set in beautiful countryside and with stunning views. Even the cheaper pitches near the playground still have a lovely view of the water. The cabins, with their green or moss-covered roofs, blend beautifully into the landscape, and the restaurant, with its panoramic view of the water and mountains, is also a real visual treat.

We also appreciated the straightforward check-in via the website, the free showers and the modern greywater disposal system. Contrary to some other reviews, we found the owners easy to reach by phone and received immediate answers to our queries. The playground is also great and even has a sandpit with toys. Having fresh water right next to the pitch is very handy, and our gravel pitch was generally well laid out.

Unfortunately, our stay otherwise revealed some significant shortcomings.

The greywater disposal point is situated right next to the pitches. We were therefore glad to have booked the outermost pitch. On arrival, we were told rather brusquely – without any greeting – how our caravan should be positioned and that neither the car nor the caravan were allowed to be parked on the lawn. It was all the more irritating, then, to see another caravan parked right down by the water and its accompanying car on the grass just a few hours later. Inconsistent application of the rules simply leaves guests with a strange impression.

We also found the sanitary facilities rather poor for a site of this size. There are only two showers and two toilets each for men and women, as well as just a single sink for washing up for the entire site. The toilet facilities struck us as clearly showing their age, rather uninviting and, unfortunately, not particularly clean during our stay.

We found doing the washing particularly fiddly. The washing machine and tumble dryer are charged at 10 NOK per 30 minutes and are standard machines, not the larger camping or industrial ones. In our case, the paid time ran out in the middle of the wash cycle. The laundry was still completely wet afterwards and we had to put more money in just to be able to spin it at all. The tumble dryer was also full of lint.

We also found the arrangements regarding the small change required to be unnecessarily complicated. After enquiring by phone, we were able to change money, but it wasn’t clear to us beforehand how the system worked, nor how much we should roughly budget for washing and drying. Unfortunately, the staff we spoke to seemed rather curt and unwelcoming.

On arrival, our pitch was also littered with bits of plastic and packaging, which we initially had to clear up ourselves. We also noticed rubbish in other parts of the site on several occasions. There are only four small bins in front of the toilet block – when the site is fully occupied, this seems very insufficient for a campsite of this size.

In the evening, a large gathering took place at the barbecue hut right in the area of the more expensive pitches by the water, which could be heard clearly until after 11 pm. In hindsight, we were very glad we hadn’t been down there, as the noise would have bothered us.

All in all, the location is truly fantastic and some areas of the site are beautifully landscaped. That’s precisely why it’s a shame that the service, cleanliness, sanitary facilities and the organisation of the laundry facilities weren’t up to the same standard for us. With a little more attention to detail and a friendlier, more guest-oriented approach, this could be a truly great campsite.

auto-translated: Were here in June, relatively late. Still found a nice spot. The restaurant and reception were still open until 9pm. Checked in quickly and ordered a tasty pizza and enjoyed the pizza and view in front of the motorhome. The location is very nice and quiet, the sanitary facilities are clean. Shower, electricity, WLAN, dog and the pitch (all incl.) 450 NK.