Whilst it's no secret I am a fan of all things luxury and comfort, I still enjoy a good camping trip! I love that camping gives us the opportunity to relax in nature and enjoy the more simple things in life such as going to sleep to the sound of the waves, enjoying a drink and a laugh with friends around the campfire and trying not to burn the marshmallows! Living in the UK was an experience I'll never forget and despite the seemingly constant rain we still managed to fit a lot of camping trips in! Today I'm sharing our favourite UK travels & camping trips, inspired by Halfords Ultimate Camping Guide! It is jam packed full of camping tips & advice, campsite guides, packing lists, advice for travelling with kids, tips for cycle holidays and even a guide to buying the perfect tent! The camping guide provides all the information you could possibly need to ensure you have an unforgettable camping trip on your UK holidays!
OUR FAVOURITE UK CAMPING TRIPS
Cornwall
Our favourite camping trip and one of our favourite places in England is Cornwall! With what we believe to be the best beaches in all of England, great surfing, excellent walks, amazing food and gorgeous coastal towns it really is unbeatable! We camped in Newquay, half way between Watergay Bay and Porth and were those people who were crazy enough to camp during April brrrrr! Luckily Dan got his BBQ skills out and whipped us up some delicious dinner... A few wines certainly took the chill of the air too! We decided that the best way to see all of Newquay's beaches was to walk the coastline from one end to the other (and back)! So we set off and wandered along the fanastic coastal path which allows you to walk the length of the coastline. The coastline is dramatic and offers the most stunning views over Cornwall's sandy beaches.
North West Wales
We visited beautiful Wales for my birthday a few years ago and absolutely fell in love with the country. We explored Snowdonia National Park, hiked Mt Snowdon, visited waterfalls & drove through the most breathtakingly stunning scenery. Wales was without a doubt one of the most beautiful countries we've ever visited, she blew us away with her beauty and we can't wait to return and explore this magnificent country in more depth!
Ireland's West Coast
My parents came to visit us from Australia, just in time to mark my first year in the UK and I couldn't have been more over the moon when they told us they'd booked tickets! It was their first time in the UK and Dan's first time meeting them, so a pretty big moment for all of us! We decided the best way to break the ice was to book tickets for us all to go to Ireland for a long weekend when they first arrived! We arrived in Dublin and headed straight over to the beautiful West Coast! We spent the next few days exploring the breathtaking Wild Atlantic Way, ticking off huge bucket list items like the Cliffs of Moher and stumbling across gorgeous unknown places such as Kinvara and Dunguaire Castle. The three of us Aussies and even Dan the Englishman all were blown away by Ireland's beauty and had the most incredible time! It was also the perfect bonding experience for Dan and my parents (especially over a fair few Guinnesses)! Ireland's West Coast is an invigorating, naturally stunning part of the world that should be on everyone's bucket list.
Scottish Highlands
Scotland was the last country in the UK I had left to visit and I had quite high expectations given the incredible reviews I'd heard from friends and family who had visited before me. Dan and I spent a week exploring the beautiful Scottish Highlands and their many diverse landscapes. Scotland is a country of natural beauty, endless freshwater lochs, magical glens, charming castles with extensive histories and evergreen forests with soaring snowcapped mountains in every direction. The Scottish Highlands were everything and more I'd hoped they would be, and we cannot wait to visit again in the future and explore Scotland further.
So you're not sold on Camping? How about Glamping?
Glamping or "Glamorous Camping" is a type of camping that provides more luxury and comfort than traditional camping! We've been lucky enough to "glamp" both in the UK and Europe and whilst we still love traditional camping, it is nice to splurge and relax in luxury, completely surrounded by beautiful, peaceful nature.
Cornwall
On our second visit to Cornwall we had our first ever glamping experience! We stayed in a brand new, romantic Yurt and it was such an incredible experience that I would recommend to anyone visiting Cornwall. The location was perfect, being only a ten minute drive to the beautiful Cornish beaches and gave us the perfect opportunity to enjoy nature and the beautiful environment whilst also being able to retreat to our perfect, comfortable and luxurious Yurt of an evening. We fell in love with our Yurt the minute we saw it! Being our first time 'glamping' and first time staying in a Yurt we were blown away with how we could relax in the beautiful countryside and enjoy nature whilst still having all the luxuries of staying in an apartment or cottage, but in such a unique and beautiful set up. Our yurt was luxurious, comfortable, spacious and beautifully decorated and furnished with rustic wooden furniture, gorgeous decorations and ornaments accompanied by lovely, romantic lighting. We felt at home immediately in the Poppy Yurt and absolutely loved snuggling up in the cosy Yurt after a big day in the great outdoors and we felt so cosy and warm whilst a storm raged outside!
Lake Bled
Whilst it isn't in the UK, we loved our glamping in Cornwall so much that we jumped at the idea to do it again on our recent visit to Lake Bled in Slovenia. Garden Village is incredible, it is an entirely ecological and innovatively designed complex, built over an abandoned gardening space that is the perfect destination for eco-conscious travellers! The resort is relaxing and blends in perfectly with its natural surroundings with fruit trees planted throughout the resort, herb and vegetable gardens and a peaceful stream running through the resort along with each glamping tent having it's own garden! Our stay at Garden Village was absolutely perfect and we loved everything about our incredibly relaxing, stylish and unique glamping tent which even came equipped with its own wood-fired hot tub! Stepping inside our tent we couldn't believe how stylish and spacious it was! The ground floor had a double bed, sofa, dining table, mini fridge, TV, air-conditioning/heating, wardrobes for storage, a kettle, plates, glasses and cutlery along with a large bathroom with towels and toiletries provided. There was a staircase up to the gallery where there was an additional two single beds. The tent would comfortably sleep 4 people and we were so so impressed with how comfortable, relaxing and cosy it was!
What is next for us?
After two years living in the UK we've just moved back to Australia and we couldn't be happier to be back by the beach and enjoying the sunshine! A little part of me yearns for the beautiful English countryside, incredible history and charming villages but I know one day we will go back. We've always said that when we have children in the future we will take them back to the UK and spend a few months road tripping and camping around England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales and take them to all the amazing places we fell in love with during our time in the UK and our travels.
I used to think I hated camping and my mum always said that she knew I would have found the right guy when I went camping with him. Well I'm certain he's my soul mate because I'm actually the one who suggests camping sometimes these days! We're so excited to explore more of beautiful Australia over the next few years and share it with you all!
Our Final Thoughts on Halfords Ultimate Camping Guide
If you're not sure whether you are a camper or not, or are just looking for some great camping tips or fantastic places to camp around the UK then we highly recommend picking up a copy of The Ultimate Camping Guide by Halfords! It's jam packed full of great camping tips and advice and is certainly a very useful guide for both new and experienced campers alike, they can even help you to choose the perfect tent for your camping adventures! Halfords have compiled the perfect guide to ensure your UK camping holiday is as wonderful as you hoped it would be!
Are you a lover of the great outdoors & camping?
We'd love to hear about your favourite camping trips and any camping tips you have to share! x
This post is brought to you in collaboration with Halfords.
Our opinions are as always, our own.
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