Cumulus Outdoors Online Reviews 2021
October 1st, 2021
We’ve compiled some of our favourite reviews from the 2021 summer season.
With the summer drawing to an end, we thought we’d take some time to look back at the past 6 months. It’s certainly been a busy season, with plenty of challenges to overcome. All of the hard work negotiating the path out of lockdown was definitely worth it, and we’re delighted to be open once again. It’s been lovely seeing happy faces and hearing the sound of laughter on-site.
To celebrate the hard work of our fantastic team and the strides we’ve made to reopen safely, we’ve compiled just some of the fantastic online reviews we’ve received over the course of 2021. They perfectly demonstrate the high standards, for which we’ve gained a fantastic reputation and the breadth of services we offer at Cumulus Outdoors. The fantastic feedback has made the long hours’ worth it and we can’t wait to deliver more outdoor adventure activities and school trips in the coming year!
School & Youth Group Residentials
This summer, the lifting of government restrictions meant we were able to resume our school and youth residential trips. This was an especially momentous occasion, given the fact that our newly acquired residential centre had sat empty during lockdown. It was overwhelming to finally open our doors and welcome students into the centre. Visitors were impressed by the improvements we’d made and couldn’t quickly settled in to their long await school trip.
We have two residential options available – our hard top residential centre and tented villages. Both are incredibly popular and we’re fortunate to have many schools that return year on year. As part of our school trips we offer well-equipped accommodation, catering and 24/7 pastoral care. Our friendly team manage the booking process seamlessly and will create a bespoke itinerary designed around your objectives and budget. We can deliver adventure activities and field studies trips. Or, you can use us a base for exploring the area at your leisure.
Group leaders have commended our organisational skills and ability to adapt to challenges we’ve faced over the past year. We helped take the stress out of planning a school trip for many school groups!
School residential reviews
“Absolutely fantastic venue for any school residential trip! We had a well planned week with every activity run by the brilliant Cumulus staff! Already booked for 2022 and 2023”!
RMF, TripAdvisor
“What a fantastic week away! Emily (Emo) and the team were brilliant and made the trip extremely easy and fun! 47 very happy students and staff – I would recommend to any group and any age. We can’t wait to go back”!
George T, TripAdvisor
“Great place to visit with schools – we had a lot of fun with all the different activities and the instructors were all so lovely! lots of adventure and experiences which will take you outside of your comfort zone, all in a beautiful town. Thanks to everyone at cumulus”!
299userbhs, TripAdvisor
Duke of Edinburgh Residentials & Expeditions
Cumulus Outdoors are one of the leading Duke of Edinburgh providers in Dorset. We offer a range of services, including fully supported DofE expeditions and gold residentials. Our Duke of Edinburgh activity weeks are incredibly popular and attract young people from all over the country. We create bespoke activity programmes designed to foster key DofE objectives, including building confidence, discovering new passions and improving leadership skills.
We offer a range of week-long residential sessions throughout the year, so there’s plenty of choice for participants. Young people can choose between a dedicated watersports adventure week, festive specials and a recognised first aid course.
As you’ll see from our online reviews, our Duke of Edinburgh residentials and expeditions are a real hit with participants. Young people have told us they’ve loved every moment of the experience and made friends for life. Likewise, we’ve received some wonderful feedback from teachers and parents. They have been impressed by our teams professionalism and approachable manner.
DofE reviews
“Really enjoyed my DofE gold residential with Cumulus. I arrived not knowing anyone there, but made some good friends who I will stay in touch with. The instructors were all great and I would definitely recommend it”.
Travelswithmyboys, TripAdvisor
“We brought 19 teenage girls to the CORC to do a week long canoeing extravaganza in order to complete their Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition section.
Sam and the rest of the team were brilliant from start to finish. The programme Sam initially put together was truly wonderful. Sadly the plans had to be altered repeatedly because of the changing Covid situation; it was a mark of the team’s professionalism and flexibility that they still managed to cater for our needs so well.
Everyone at Cumulus was friendly and helpful; the planning was great, the advance paperwork was reassuringly thorough, they facilitated a fantastic week away for both teachers and students, and the Silver expeditions were successfully completed.
A wealth of wonderful memories were made.
I would thoroughly recommend Cumulus as being an excellent AAP. Thanks Guys!”
Lizzie Wallace, Google
“Thank you for looking after my teenager, he really enjoyed himself and had a good time despite the challenges of Covid and the weather. It sounds like he was with a really good group and thoroughly enjoyed meeting all new people. The staff were very professional and the communication with booking/travel logistics was excellent.
We are extremely grateful for your care and I have already recommended your organisation to a few friends”.
Juliet, TripAdvisor
Adventure Activities
We’re delighted to have a wide selection of activities on offer at Cumulus Outdoors. Our unique Swanage location, with easy access to the world-renowned Jurassic Coast provides the perfect base from which we can travel offsite and deliver outdoor adventures for children and adults.
Our most popular activities are coasteering and climbing, which both take place at Dancing Ledge – a scenic spot with spectacular views out to sea. Other activities include tag archery, high ropes course, bushcraft, raft racing and mountain biking.
We’ve been delighted to welcome hundreds of participants onto our activity sessions this year. It’s been a privilege to watch so many people push the boundaries of their comfort zone, while trying something new! The wonderful feedback we’ve received has meant a lot to our team. Our instructors were overjoyed to read such glowing feedback and learn just how much their sessions were enjoyed.
Adventure activities reviews
“This was the first time the kids had tried abseiling and climbing. Josh ran a really good session, gave the boys confidence and taught them some knot and rope skills. Remember to save a bit of energy for the walk back up the cliff”!
Cjb724, TripAdvisor
“We were a family of five and did a double session of climbing/abseiling and then coasteering. Our instructor Josh T was brilliant. Nicely laid back so that everything was completely stress free but everyone felt safe at all times. We did loads of routes and Josh manged get us up all of them. The coasteering was bonkers and jumping off the high ledge was well out of my comfort zone. The teenagers thought it was awesome. It is fair to say it is a bit of a trek back up the hill but if you want a fun day out it is worth it. Def take loads of water”!
Dad_is_always_right, TripAdvisor
“We went coasteering guided by Chris and Drew, together with our 11, 9 and 7 year old children. It was amazing. Chris and Drew could not have been more friendly, positive or encouraging, and our kids had an amazing time. It was so good to see them overcoming their fear of jumping off the mini-cliffs and how excited they were when they finally did it. The equipment was all in very good order and we felt safe throughout. Thank you for a great day”!
PSHudson, TripAdvisor
Expert Instructors
We’re fortunate to have an incredible team at Cumulus Outdoors. Our staff have plenty of experience and possess some of the best qualifications in the industry. The glowing reviews we receive are testament to their hard work and commitment each and every day. They go above and beyond to engage participants and ensure everyone takes something from the experience.
Our team put their all into every session to make sure it is fun and exciting, without compromising on safety. They create a welcoming and supportive environment, where young people feel at ease and capable of conquering their fears. Our fantastic crew members work hard to bolster participants confidence through our strict ‘challenge by choice’ ethos. This means we will never make someone take on an activity they are not completely comfortable with.
This laid back, yet safety conscious approach hasn’t gone unnoticed by our customers, who have praised the team’s patience, knowledge and communication skills. We really do have the best staff in the business and we couldn’t be prouder of how they’ve conducted themselves this year!
Instructor reviews
“As a Scout leader, looking for a ‘wow’ activity on the summer camp, this is definitely something I was looking forward to trying. We were well looked after – explanations about what we were doing, what we should do and also what to expect the instructors to do and how we should communicate with them – were all covered by a team that obviously knew how to work together themselves.
The entire session was run safely (as the camp permit holder, being responsible from 20 other kids – I will look for issues that could happen – no matter how small or irrelevant) – I never felt out of control and that team always conveyed the air of reassurance to us and were mindful of the differing needs that any group of Kids might have.
The smiles on the faces of the Scouts were all there and plain to see, definitely will book again when we are in the area next”.
Russel P, TripAdvisor
“Jamie and Jess were knowledgeable, entertaining, experienced and patient given we had 2 little boys (aged 8/10).
What a fabulous experience, we had the most amazing time and given it was a birthday, it was even more amazing”.
Karin S, TripAdvisor
“Amazing coasteering fun for our family this half term. The team were friendly, fun and professional throughout. Highly recommended!”
Jim Ross, Google
Adventure Hen & Stag do’s
In addition to our youth sessions, we also host stag and hen do’s. These are great fun and the perfect choice for intrepid groups looking for a unique way to celebrate their upcoming nuptials. We take a really flexible approach and can deliver standalone activities or organise the entire weekend. This takes the stress out of planning, leaving you to concentrate on having fun!
With many couples having to postpone their weddings due to Covid-19, it was great to welcome wedding parties back onto the site once again. It’s always a treat to play a part in such a special event and help groups create memories to look back on for years to come.
This year we delivered a number of glamping and activity packages, which went down a storm. If the reviews are anything to go by, a great time was had by all!
Hen & stag reviews
“Fantastic morning with Cumulus Outdoors coasteering with a 20 man stag. Jackie was brilliant to deal with in organising everything and Chris and the team were absolute experts and made it a lot of fun. Thanks guys”!
Chris J, TripAdvisor
“I booked a hen weekend for one of my best friends through Cumulus and it was brilliant. My friend wanted to go coasteering and camping but as I’m not very clued up on these activities, I was very happy to find Cumulus who organise all of this as one package which meant I could focus on the fun and games 🙂
The hen package was hosted at a beautiful private campsite with Roxie on hand to cook our meals and make sure everything ran smoothly. Roxie was so friendly and made the whole experience that extra bit better”.
Jo N, TripAdvisor
“I’ve just come back from my hen do at Cumulus Outdoors. The setting was breathtaking, right by the water’s edge. Roxie was on hand to cook us delicious meals and help us out if needed but also let us do our own thing. The hen do also included an activity which we did coasteering. Everyone loved it. The activity felt safe and they didn’t push you to jump if you didn’t want too. An incredible weekend- wish I could do it all over again”!
Brightongirl, TripAdvisor
If you visited Cumulus Outdoors this year and would like to leave your feedback, you can do so via TripAdvisor, Google or Facebook. If you’ve yet to join us for a school trip or outdoor activity on the Jurassic Coast, please get in touch via telephone or email. Our friendly team will work with you to create your dream adventure on the Jurassic Coast.
We hope to welcome you in 2022!