A couple of years ago we had an incredible family holiday in Crantock, just outside of Newquay, at a place called Trevella Park. It was a special holiday for all sorts of reasons, not least because our hypermobile two year old had only recently started to walk. Watching her tottering around on the beach, running towards the sea, is a moment I’ll never forget.

Two years on and we’re returning to Trevella. Last time we stayed in a safari tent. This time I’ll be coming up for eight months pregnant, so as much as I loved the safari tent, I’d rather be near my very own toilet for those frequent nightly toilet trips. We’re staying in a luxury holiday home which has a loo, proper bedrooms and a kitchen and living area. I’m a fan of camping, but the comfort of a static caravan rather appeals to my pregnant side.

So why am I asking for your help?

Well this holiday is going to be a bit of a milestone one. It’s our last holiday as a three, before we begin life as a four.

The thing I loved about Trevella when we last went there was the laid back atmosphere. It’s not the type of place where you’ll find children’s entertainers hyped up on Pro Plus. There are no kiddy discos or loud bars. Instead, it’s about enjoying free range fun, making the most of the beautiful beach, the stunning scenery and the incredible nature right on the doorstep (or tent step).

We’re going to be using the newly launched App for Cornwall during our stay, which offers suggestions of activities and events across the region, but I also need some other pointers.

I know Cornwall pretty well – I lived there for a year when I did my journalism training. But there are so many different (totally free) things to do and places to see that I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what the county has to offer.

We’ve narrowed down a potential list of (free!) things to do, but I’d like your help in prioritising them. The two activities that get the most votes will be on our “Definitely Doing List”. These are some of our favourites from the suggestions on the Trevella website:

• View a Cornish sunrise from the South West coastal path.
• Have a barbecue on the beach at Crantock.
• Take a kayak tour of the Gannel Estuary.
• Go crabbing.
• Go for a night time bug hunt.
• Go on a Ranger Trail.

As well as these activities, we’re keen to visit one of the following places too. But which one should we opt for?

• Crealy Adventure Park.
• Flambards.
• Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Last time we went to Cornwall we visited the Eden Project, which was amazing, so we’ll almost definitely go back there too. Plus we went to Lappa Valley back on our 2012 visit, as well as the Blue Reef Aquarium, which I know Frog will love even more now she’s that bit older. But we don’t want to spend the whole week rushing from place to place, so we need to pick just two or three to do. I just can’t decide which ones!

So, what would YOU do? Where would you go? Which of the activities and places on our “Possibles List” need to move to our “Definitely Doing List”? 

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Big thank you to Trevella Park for inviting us back to review the site again this year. Can’t wait! 

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Three weeks ago I was checking the long-range weather forecasts constantly. Not content with just one website, I’d check three or four – at least five times a day – to try and come up with the best outlook. I was desperate for sunshine for the first week of the summer holidays.

As our glamping holiday at Trevella Park in Cornwall approached, the rain thundered down with increasing ferocity, becoming heavier with each passing day. I was resigned to the prospect of our first family holiday being a complete washout.

As luck would have it, it wasn’t. The sun shone down on us for the entire week we stayed in our Safari Tent at Trevella, although it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing if the rain had followed us down to Cornwall, seeing as our accomodation didn’t really count in the realms of camping as I’ve formerly known it.

Having grown up with long summers in various tents in France, I’m used to the finer points of camping. I spent my school holidays trekking across soggy fields for a wee at 3am, or lugging bowls of washing-up to the nearest wash block. I was used to sleeping on flat lilos in a two man tent, waking up with sand in my ears and the hot sun making any form of lie-in unbearable. Tent pegs and guy ropes and awnings are a part of my holiday DNA.

Not anymore.

When you glamp (to “glamp” is to “camp” the “glamorous” way) you give up all that stuff. Instead, we slept on proper beds, in a pre-made tent the size of my cottage. Our floor was a wooden one. We had a kitchen complete with microwave, fridge, kettle and TV. We even had our living room area, with the futon sofa coming in handy for my parents’ fleeting two night visit.

There was even a big verandah with a table and six chairs, so we could while away the evenings in the outdoors and watch the sun go down. Or play stacking tubs. Whatever.

The tent came equipped with almost everything we could have needed. There was no need for plastic camping plates or old knives and forks. We did end up buying a cheap chopping board from the Morrison’s situated just down the road, along with a couple of 40p wine glasses, but to be honest we could have done without these frivolities.

We took along foam bed guards for our toddler, but if she hadn’t recently made the transition from cot to bed then we would have simply hired a travel cot from the reception. Ditto with the highchair.

For me, the main advantage of staying in a Safari Tent was to give my daughter the experience of camping, while saving myself or the (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine the headache of putting up a tent with a toddler in tow.

The mornings waking under canvas, the evenings watching the sun go down, the eating outside and the freedom to play in a safe, green and open environment…. all of these were huge pluses to staying in a Safari Tent.

We still felt (sort of) like campers, taking our washing-up to the nearest wash block in the evenings and plodding past the hardcore campers in the mornings with our toothbrushes, dressed in last night’s pyjamas. But when it came to making a cup of tea, or warming up Frog’s milk, or switching on CBeebies in emergency tantrum situations, it was glamping all the way.

In terms of the facilities on offer beyond the realms of our wooden verandah and enclosed glamping field, there were two wash blocks to choose from.

For families with kids as young as Frog (so if you have babies or toddlers) it may be an idea to bring your own baby bath. This is because there are only shower facilities available, excepting the one bath in one of the family cubicles in the toilet block at the lower end of the campsite.

If you have shower-phobic children (like mine) this could make washing the sand and mud away at the end of a busy day playing, a bit of an ordeal. On the other hand, if your kids are happy to shower, the family rooms in the newer toilet blocks are more than spacious enough, but be prepared to queue during high season as this is the preferred block for families with kids.

Trevella Park has a lovely relaxed, family atmosphere. It steers away from organised evening entertainment and doesn’t have an on-site bar, although there is a cute little cafe where you can grab your evening meal if you can’t be bothered to muck around with the barbecue or camping stove.

There are two playgrounds. One is for young children (which Frog loved), with your basic swings, slide etc and another is an adventure playground for slightly older kids, with all sorts of wooden play equipment, ropes and bridges.

There’s a heated outdoor swimming pool and two well stocked fishing lakes, which are a great destination for a leisurely evening meander. My dad (the family fishing enthusiast) tells me these lakes made “great fishing”, stuffed with “carp and other fish of the coarse fishing variety” (I have no idea what this means).

If you have older kids and you’re used to the kind of sites that put on evening disco’s and magic shows (I’m looking at you Northern Mum) you don’t need to worry.

With a laid back family atmosphere, play areas and lots of campers, the children all seemed happy to amuse themselves, making friends and enjoying playing outside in a safe environment. This, of course, meant their parents were free to kick back and enjoy a cold glass of wine while tending to the barbecue. Everyone was happy.

When it comes to beaches, you have countless options.

The nearest beach is Crantock Beach, around 5 minutes drive from Trevella (with a carpark free for National Trust members). A beautiful river flows into the sea here, clearly evident at high tide. This is where you’ll find a roped off swimming area that resembles a swimming pool, so clear and calm is the water.

Further along on the main beach you’ll find surfers and bodyboarders, with lifeguards manning the waves and keeping a watchful eye over any over-ambitious swimmers.

We also ventured to Polly Joke Beach, just around the headland (although a steep climb down from the carpark means this probably isn’t the easiest beach for young families to access) and to Towan Beach on the edge of Newquay Town. For the serious surfers amongst you, Fistral Beach in Newquay is the place to be seen.

Whichever beach you plump for, you’ll be sure of clean, wide expanses of sand, perfect for making sandcastles, with various rockpools crying out to be explored.

If you tire of beach living, there’s a whole host of other things you can do. Situated a short drive from the picture perfect resorts of St Ives and Padstow, Trevella Park is a great location to explore the surrounding parts of Cornwall.

Or if it’s child-friendly day trips you’re after, I thoroughly recommend Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay, down by Towan Beach. Frog loved to press her nose against the glass and peer in at the giant lobsters, sharks and octopus.

We also visited Lappa Valley Steam Railway, around 15 minutes from Trevella Park by car. This was our favourite of all the places we explored, as the outside setting made it easier to keep our constantly nosy inquisitive toddler occupied.

With three railways complete with mini trains to ride, a canoeing pond, pedal karts, adventure play areas, crazy golf, cafe and maze, this place has enough to keep kids occupied for hours. And it’s in a beautiful setting, amidst the old tin mines that this part of Cornwall used to thrive upon.

If you’re really keen on day trips, Newquay Zoo is also worth a visit. But be warned – there are peacocks roaming free, which are like a red rag to a bull for a bossy, over-affectionate toddler…

It’s difficult to sum up how much this holiday meant to us as a family – and how much we needed to spend a week together away from home and work and the stresses of “real life”.

I woke every morning to the sun on my face, with my two year old babbling away in my ear and the knowledge that the day ahead would be a good one. The best in fact.

You can’t want more than that from a holiday.

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More information:

A Safari Tent at Trevella Park, accomodating up to 6 people, costs £522 per week during the main weeks of the school summer holidays. You can find out more about glamping and mobile home prices here.

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Disclosure: We were provided with a 7 night break in a Safari Tent along with a Cornwall Pass by the Cornwall Tourist Board, giving free entry for up to 2 adults at all the attractions featured in this post. All views are my own.

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You know when you’re on holiday and time sort of stands still? I’m there right now.

The days just merge into each other, with any sense of urgency or routine melting away. You wake when the sun comes up, spend the day doing exactly what you want, when you want, and sleep the sleep of perfection during the night. No dreams about work, no never-ending to-do lists. Just calm, relaxation, laughter.

I’m currently on a review trip at a beautiful campsite called Trevella Park in Crantock, Cornwall. It’s a five star campsite, with stunning fishing lakes, play areas, a swimming pool and some of the most breathtaking views I’ve ever woken up with.

We’re enjoying time together. As a family. With nothing to worry about but just making ourselves happy.

We’ve mostly been waking up to this:

Doing lots of this:

And this:

And (once Frog is tucked up and snoring in bed) enjoying a little of this:

The (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine is well and truly over his camping phobia. Although coming from a family of camping enthusiasts who actually enjoy the hardship of sleeping on a lilo and trekking through fields for a wee in the dark, I’m not sure this holiday really counts in that category.

Glamping is the perfect compromise. For me (a camper of the extreme variety) and for the NLM (an absolute non-camper) the Safari Tents at Trevella strike a happy medium.

We still have the outside living. Frog has the freedom to roam in a safe and green space. We have the romance of sleeping under canvas. But there are proper beds, wooden floors, a sofa and even a TV. And the verandah – it’s something you’d never find in a mobile home or tiny two-man tent. I love it. We all love it.

 I’m told it’s Wednesday (totally lost track of the days now) and already we’ve crammed in day trips, beach trips, barbecues and the odd bottle of wine. I’ll write more about all that when I’m back.

But for now, take it from me – glamping is THE best way to spend a sunny week and Trevella Park in Cornwall is a lovely place to do it.

Now, where’s that wine?

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Disclosure: A 7 night break in a Safari Tent at Trevella Park has been provided to us for the purpose of this review.

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You know when you really need a holiday and you’re so excited you can hardly contain yourself and you can’t wait to spend a week away from it all with just your family and you know you’ll love every second and the very thought of it makes you break out into a massive grin?

That.

We’re heading down to Devon tomorrow for one night’s stop-over at my parents’ new place, before continuing on down to Cornwall for a week “Glamping” at Trevella Park in Crantock.

We so need this holiday.

A week of family time, laughter, playing on the beach (whatever the weather), glasses of wine outside the safari tent in the evening (again, whatever the weather) and more family time couldn’t be more welcome right now.

What is it about holidays? It always seems the week before you leave goes so slowly, because you want the day of departure to hurry up and get here already.

I feel like I’m eight years old again and it’s the night before one of our family holidays to France.

Just one more day to go until we pack up and leave town for a bit.

Can. Not. Wait.

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Photo credit: Mackerel Clouds and Disappearing Sun, by Lovestruck

I’m going glamping this summer. It’s like camping, only more glamorous. Glamping.

I’ve been persuading the camping-phobic (self-proclaimed) Northern Love Machine that it’s going to be fun. He’s yet to be convinced.

Our holiday involves staying at the 5 star beach location that is Trevella Park campsite in Crantock, Newquay. That’s in Cornwall, for any of you not familiar with the South West.

The campsite has a heated swimming pool, play areas, lakes full of fish and is in a stunning setting with the choice of two beaches. There’s even crazy golf. Still, the husband is yet to be convinced.

He doesn’t share my memories of camping as a child, you see. Those happy days, being at one with nature, playing outside until dusk settles, eating barbecued sausages every night and waking up to the smell of fresh dew on the outside of the tent. For him, camping sounds like a lot of hard work, especially with a toddler.

Except it’s not camping. It’s glamping.

This means we don’t have to put a tent up. Instead, we’ll arrive to a Safari Tent, complete with spacious bedrooms, comfy beds with duvets, real furniture and a proper kitchen with a fridge. There’s also wooden decking with an outdoor dining set. Let’s hope it doesn’t rain.

We’re going to be reviewing Trevella Park while we’re there. Which means that we don’t actually have to pay for the holiday. That said, this is EXACTLY the type of holiday I’d be more than happy to fork out for in the future. Providing my marriage remains intact.

If this is something that appeals to you, I have a bit of an exclusive offer for you. The lovely people at Trevella Park have arranged for readers of this here blog to get 10% off all glamping, mobile homes and touring pitches there, for holidays taken between 27th April to 28th May 2012, 11th June to 14th June 2012 and 3rd September to 29th Octover 2012.

To claim the offer, all you need to do is enter the code MUMS10 when booking your holiday on the Trevella Park website.

And remember. It’s not camping. It’s glamping. (Unless you like putting up your own tent. In which case camping is on offer too.)

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This is not an advertorial. I have been paid no money to write this post. I’m simply excited about our review holiday in the summer and wish to share the love. Consider the love well and truly shared.

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That word will either conjure up nostalgic memories of being at one with nature, free in the open countryside, with the fresh smell of morning dew in your nostrils as you wake at dawn. Or it will conjure up pure, unadulterated panic.

It’s a fact of life – just as there are dog people and cat people – there are campers and non-campers.

I am very much a camper. Unfortunately, however, I married a non-camper. I know, how on earth will this marriage work?

For me, camping is exciting. It’s childhood holidays playing in the outdoors, freed from the shackles of city life and negotiating pavements on a bike. It’s barbecues and swimming and sleeping bags and night trips to the loo with a torch.

But my husband is a camping virgin. He doesn’t “do” camping. The idea of a week in a tent is one that makes him visibily shake. He winces at the thought of sleeping under canvas, where wolves could get to him at any moment and bears are less than a whisker away. (I’ve explained that camping in the UK is different to camping in Canada, but he remains unconvinced.)

So it was perhaps a risky move to accept an offer of a holiday to Cornwall this summer, where we will be… camping.

It’s not just any holiday, you see. It’s a review holiday, meaning we get to test the facilities at the swanky and really rather beautiful Trevella Holiday Park in Crantock, Newquay.

At first my husband was excited at the thought of a “free” holiday (as in, he won’t actually have to do any work for it, and won’t have to fork out any cash either). But when the “C” word was mentioned, his face fell.

So I explained that, in fact, it’s not really camping at all. Not in the sense that he knows anyway. It’s Glamping. We arrive at the site, to find the tent already erected. There’s not even a tent peg in view. And when I say tent, I actually mean canvas house.

This is a Safari Tent. With proper beds, duvets, bedrooms and a kitchen. There’s even a wooden deck with table and chairs outside so we can enjoy the sunset while Frog sleeps soundly in her bed “indoors”. (Who am I kidding, this child is going to be far too excited to sleep.)

We will spend the days rambling around the beach and the stamping ground of my postgraduate year at Falmouth (or “Falbiza” as we liked to call it). We’ll swim in the gorgeous heated swimming pool on site. Frog’s grandad can fish in one of the plentifully stocked lakes. We may even do a spot of crazy golf. And I don’t doubt Frog will spend much time at one of the hugely exciting play areas.

So why am I so worried? Is this the end of my marriage? Any tips from campers who have managed to convert non-campers would be much appreciated…

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