We are lifelong campers and strangely relish the idea of roughing it for the weekend with bugs, leaking tents, broken poles and questionable food! For many this might not sound like a relaxing break and for many their first camping experience is often their last. So, for the camping haters out there, there is a new alternative just for you that is growing in popularity. Glamourous camping; otherwise known as glamping. You get all the exposure to the great outdoors as you would on a traditional camping trip, but the luxury of a double bed and a log burning fire! So, we thought we would embrace this modern approach and put a yurt to the test…
What’s the idea: Stay in a yurt for the weekend
Who for: Anyone; families, couples, friends
Where: There are now so many amazing glamping sites across the UK. We stayed at Cae Wennol Yurts in Conwy, North Wales. If you have found a great yurt site, then please comment below
Cost: We had a small yurt that slept 4, this was £80 per night
Where can I book: http://www.caewennolyurts.co.uk
TIG’s review
It was pitch black when we arrived at Cae Wennol Yurts. Out of the darkness emerged the lovely owner Avril who gave us a very warm welcome, despite the minus temperatures! We grabbed our torches and she led the way through the fields to our accommodation for the next 2 nights. We reached the yurt and as we stepped in we were hit by the heat! Avril had lit the fire for us and it was toasty warm inside, what an amazing welcome. She then proceeded to show us around the communal rustic kitchen, lounge areas, toilets and shower sheds that were all lit up beautifully with colourful fairy lights. It was really quite magical. Back inside the yurt we spent the next half an hour deciding on the colour of fairy lights we wanted – there must have been over 10 options! When we eventually lay in bed, with the fire still roaring, we looked up and through the window at the top of the yurt, and could see the moon shining through. I was certainly warming to the idea of glamping!
In the morning, we went to explore the communal areas. These were incredible, there were armchairs, dining tables, outdoor ovens, kitchen sink, fridge, board games, books and so much more. The toilet shed had a sink and two eco compost toilets that were extremely clean compared to our usual campsite lavatories! They even had an eco hot shower which was also quite a novelty.
This trip was so much more relaxing than a regular camping trip. There was no tent to put up and take down in the rain. There was no outside campfire to struggle to light. No sleepless nights due to broken tent poles and howling winds. However, staying in the yurt just seemed too easy to me, there is an element of fun and adventure under a thin sheet of canvas. Despite that I’m pretty sure I could get used to yurt life quite easily and it was a great way to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Top tips
- Take your own tealights! In our yurt there were so many tealight holders but no tealights, we didn’t realise you had to take your own
- As we hadn’t stayed in a yurt before we didn’t really know what would be in the kitchen facilities. There were many different tea types, herbs, spices but no oil. I would advise to just pack all the condiments, food and drink you need just in case. They have all the utensils, plates and cups you will need so that is one less thing to take!
- You will need a torch or two to get around the site at night
- If you stay at Cae Wennol Yurts you have to go to the amazing pancake house just 2 minutes away (it’s closed Mondays and you might have to book)
- If you stay at Cae Wennol Yurts I highly recommend you visit Zip World, it is just half an hour away – read about my hair-raising experience here (you will need to book at least a month or two in advance)
Any bad points?
When I booked the yurt I expected it to be out of the way in total isolation, hidden from other yurts and passageways. However, this was not the case, we stayed in the ‘Seren’ yurt at Cae Wennol Yurts and it was within close proximity to the kitchen area. This wasn’t ideal as the other people staying at the campsite were early risers and you could hear them singing, making breakfast and the kids running around which wasn’t the most relaxing wake up call.
Would stay in a yurt again?
I don’t think yurts will ever replace the traditional camping experience for us, however, I would be open to doing it again. It has all the comforts of home life with the added bonus of being in the middle of a field.
For more photos on Idea #8: Stay in a yurt, visit my board on Pinterest
