As anybody who knows me will tell you - I am a BIG fan of a holiday!
Infact if I could afford to take a trip every other week, I absolutely would - nothing makes me happier than packing up and heading off to explore new places or revisit old favourites.
And when it comes to those holidays - I'm usually pretty easy to please. Whether it's a fancy 5* hotel in South America, or a cheap and cheerful caravan park in Wales - I'm just as happy! But having said that, there IS one type of holiday that I've never really fancied...and that's camping!
We never went camping as children, largely because my own mom was also not keen on the idea of roughing it, and so the older I got - the less the idea of sleeping in the middle of a (probably) soggy field under a thin piece of material with no electrical points to plug my hair straighteners in and no comfy bed to snooze in appealed to me.
And in all honesty, I would quite happily have gone my whole life without ever experiencing camping first hand - but then I had a son.
A son who is now 6 years old and very much in love with the idea of being an adventurer. He wants to be the next Indiana Jones, and to him - camping is the ultimate dream! Sleeping under the stars, going for torch lit nature walks, and roughing it with a camping stove and a few tins of beans is his idea of holiday heaven.
And so I wondered...surely there was some kind of middle ground?! Some way that he could experience a family camping trip without it being a painfully uncomfortable experience for me?!
Lo and behold - I came across the wonderful world of glamping - camping with a luxury twist and a generous serving of home comforts!
Gorgeous Instagrammable images of beautiful bell tents full of geo prints and woven wall hangings lured me in, and the more I read about glamping - the more I was sold on the idea!
And so...perhaps a family camping trip wouldn't be so bad after all?! Infact, I think this might the year we finally make it happen!
If, like me, you're thinking about heading off in a camping trip this year - I've put together some tips to make things a bit easier.
1) Decide On Your Dream Location
Whether it's seaside charm, rustic countryside walks or just a wide open starry night sky that you envision for your camping trip - grab a notepad and make a list of potential destinations, and then spend a little time checking through Google, Instagram and Trip Advisor for inspiration. I was amazed by what a huge selection of camp sites are on offer and just how different they all are.
2) Consider Taking Your Camp Adventure Abroad
Whenever I thought about going camping, I always pictured us in the UK because it just hadn't really dawned on me that camp sites abroad would be a viable option - but they most certainly are!
Infact Yelloh! Village looks the perfect place for a family glamping trip. They have a range of sites across Portugal, France and Spain where they offer the latest in top of the line luxury camping.
As well as providing free of charge services and amenities such as:
*Kids clubs and evening entertainment
*Well maintained sports grounds
*Entry to an aquatic park
*Public bathroom facilities
they also offer wifi, baby care items, linens and cleaning services for a small additional charge too. Their covered pools are the perfect all-weather entertainment solution, and their luxury accomodation looks far more up my street than the tiny four man tents I'd been imagining!
3) Know What To Pack!
I'm always guilty of overpacking for every trip, but with baby items and linens available to hire at the camp site - my suitcase should have plenty of space for the items that will make the trip more memorable.
Plenty of family board games, binoculars and a flashlight for nature walks and wildlife spotting, and of course - the most important thing of all - the camera!
Would you consider taking your family on a glamping trip? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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