Our short vacation- Bikal, Hungary

This year we went on a short vacation again, just like in previous years. The destination was the same, but now not three of us went but my partner’s parents came with us as well. Specifically, we went with them because they paid for the vacation.

I was really looking forward to these few days to get a little out of boring everyday life. And I was also really looking forward to the meals there because we used to eat very delicious food there. As last year, I decided that the days of my vacation would be the last days when I could eat without guilt and start dieting when I got home. I hope to be more persistent this year than last. But this is another topic.

First day

We left home after lunch on Monday and arrived in Bikal, the Puchner Castle Hotel and Adventure Estate, in the early afternoon. We arranged with my partner’s parents to unpack our belongings in our rooms and then walk around the estate. They weren’t in this place yet, so we wanted to show them because the estate is huge, there are meals in a separate building, wellness in other buildings, and so on.

We booked the same type of room for the same price, but when we went to their room I was surprised. We had a small room with a small shower, and they had a slightly larger room with a larger bathroom with a shower and a bathtub, and their room also had a large terrace. I didn’t understand the logic of how the two of them could get a more spacious, more comfortable room than the three of us. It didn’t annoy me because we actually spent very little time in the rooms, it was just weird.

So we met in their room and I wanted to start exploring the property. But they just snacked, talked and to be honest I started to get a little angry because I didn’t want to sit in the room all afternoon. Finally, by the time we left the room we had to go to dinner. Buffet dinner is there and during dinner unlimited food and drink. The food was varied. When I go on vacation or to a restaurant, I like to eat something I don't get used to at home. Something I have never eaten before or only rarely. On the first evening I ate BBQ beef balls with steamed vegetables and potatoes. The others ate almond chicken.

After dinner we walked through the estate. In the fairytale village part of the adventure estate, you can enter the houses, where there is a decoration appropriate to the theme. I liked the witch's house the best, you can see in the video what welcomes the guests.

The second day

After a hearty breakfast we went to the playroom called "The World of Uni" which Bence really enjoyed. We were there by lunchtime and Bence cried a lot when he had to get out of there.

I think if he had decided on the program we would have been there by evening.

After lunch, wellness followed. The property has a wellness area in two buildings, but only adults can enter one. By the way, not only is there an adult-only section in the wellness area, but there is also a separate adult-only room for dinner and breakfast. I consider this a good thing, because those who are bothered by the children running around and shouting, they can go to these rooms and enjoy dinner or just wellness in a calmer, quieter environment.

So in the building where we could all go together there are 3 sections, a kids section, a Moroccan spa and a main pool.

There are also 3 pools in the children's section, so all ages will find the right one for them, there is also a pool with very low water and very warm water for babies.

(The source of two photos taken about wellness: puchner.hu
Because of the dangers lurking on my phone, I thought it better to leave it in the room. As unfortunate as I am, I would certainly have dropped it into the water.)

Unfortunately, we also had a little discomfort in the wellness area. The towels are provided at reception. The robes are numbered so we can recognize with the help of the robes for sure which towels are ours if we forget exactly where we put them. So when we came out of the pool looking for our towels, there was only 1 towel instead of 3. This was indicated at the reception where the ladies said it often happens and the towels are likely to be brought out in the evening, surely someone accidentally took it instead of their own. But they also said that if the towels didn’t get back there after all, we would have to pay for them. I was a little angry about this, but unfortunately I had to accept this and closed the conversation with an “ok”. As we walked out the door I heard the receptionist ladies laughing behind my back. They said "she said ok..hahaha". I don’t understand what was funny about this, but I don’t think this behavior was right for them. Otherwise, when we left, the towels were not on the bill, they probably found them.

Dinner was fantastic again, I ate deer stew. I’ve never eaten deer before, so I tasted it and it was delicious.

And after dinner we went to the playground. There are 3 playgrounds on the estate, the photo shows 2, one made for small children and the other for older ones. And there is a third playground near the outdoor pool.

Third day

We fell asleep early in the evenings because we were always very tired. So I woke up early in the morning and went for a walk while the others were asleep. I watched the swans and enjoyed the fresh morning air. Before we left for home after breakfast, we visited the petting zoo. We really liked it. There are ducks, geese, peacocks, pigs, wild boars, goats, donkeys and even a llama and a deer.

Closing thoughts 

I don’t know what the perfect accommodation is for others, many people prefer luxury. In fact, on the Puchner estate, guests can get everything they want, but because of its medieval style, it doesn’t seem like a luxury category. But perfect for me. Lots of programs, lots of green space and lots and lots of sculptures. I love sculptures.

The work shown in the picture below was made from scrapped car tires. What a great idea for recycling!

In the winter, it can be a little uncomfortable not to have everything in the same building and possibly have to walk from one building to another in harsh weather. But beyond that, I couldn’t say anything negative.

We were having a great time now and I am sure we will return to Bikal at another time.