For those who enjoy fresh air and beautiful views, but consider camping a step too far from your home comforts, glamping offers a great mixture of both. Even better is the fact that there is an ever-increasing amount of eco-friendly glamping sites nowadays, which means you don’t have to compromise the environment to get your luxury outdoors holiday. Here are a few ideas for some incredible and comfortable stays in the beautiful Welsh countryside.
1. Treberfedd Farm, West Wales
Situated on an idyllic hilltop location with panoramic views, Treberfedd Farm is a working organic farm offering beautiful glamping facilities. A short drive from west Wales’ Cardigan Bay coast, you can explore the sandy beaches, coast path and quality seaside eateries as well as the farm trails and woodlands. The site has two octagonal luxury eco cabins with a completely original design. Both cabins are dug into the hillside and blend into the landscape, making the most of the beautiful views. They are made of natural materials, using organic meadow grass as turf roofs and sheep’s wool as insulation, with welsh timber cladding on the exterior. You can wake up in cosy luxury and watch the sun rising over the mountains of the Aeron valley below. From the king size bed to the comfy chairs, log burner, TV and underfloor heating powered by the farm’s wind turbine and solar panels, the eco cabins offer a luxurious yet sustainable stay. There is even a new Swedish wood fired hot tub!
At Treberfedd Farm you can also choose to stay at Dora, an Edwardian Caravan. Located in a secluded and beautiful organic meadow, you can enjoy the views over green rolling hills. With a full size double bed with duvet, pure wool welsh blankets and a wood burning stove, Dora is perfect for cosy nights. There is a private cooking and dining with an outdoor gas stove under a canvas awning and outside fire pit for long summer evenings, and a fully equipped and heated toilet and shower cabin a short walk away. The caravan is equipped with everything you need for your stay, just sit back, relax and enjoy the views!
2. Penhein Glamping, South Wales
Penhein is a typical Welsh farm set on 450 acres of woodland and grassland which is is run with conservation and ecology in mind. Woodland corridors between the fields protect the flora and fauna that thrive on the farm, and the water comes from natural springs on the land. The glampsite is situated in the middle of three acres of semi-ancient woods and opens onto wildflower meadows with magnificent views of the River Severn and the valley below. Further down is Coombe Wood, a Site of Specific Scientific Interest and home to species of trees dating back many thousands of years, as well as Castroggi Brook, at the foot of the valley, a perfect spot for picnics, paddling and rope-swinging over the stream.
Most special of all is the accommodation at Penhein, which is a small group of alachigh (Persian) tents inspired by those of the nomadic Shahsavan tribe in Northern Iran, and decorated beautifully with exotic colours and patterns of the middle east. Furbished with beautiful kitchen facilities and comfortable beds, as well as a separate toilet attached to the tent, this is a unique glamping experience. A shared kitchen as well as a luxurious shower block is situated in the centre of the small group of tents, and you can even have a candle lit bath! With each tent on its own little woodchip path, there is also a communal tent with a log fire and cosy chairs, and indoor dining area. Managed with consideration for the environment at the centre of everything, Penhein offers a gorgeous, guilt free holiday in a stunning setting.
3. Ceridwen Centre, West Wales
The Ceridwen Centre is an multi-award winning eco-sensitive holiday destination set on a 40 acre organic farm in the Teifi Valley. The centre offers a variety of comfortable unique spaces which are all restored, upcycled or made by their local on site team, and you can choose to stay in a range of accommodations. Whether a cosy yurt, the amazing converted double decker bus, the upcycled static caravan or an eco pod, all options are heated and can be enjoyed year-round. With a beautiful historic location 15 miles from fantastic beaches, the glampsite offers a licensed bar and shop, and even runs regular Friday pizza nights (woodfired sourdough pizza with seasonal and locally sourced toppings) and Saturday burger nights, so you are in for a real treat!
4. Cosy Under Canvas, Welsh Borders
Located on the Welsh/English border near the Brecon Beacons National Park, Cosy Under Canvas offers luxurious and eco-friendly geodomes for your stay. Comfy beds, snug duvets, fluffy sheepskins and cosy rugs fill these intriguing structures, and with eco-friendly compost loos, wood-fired showers and solar lights, the site has a very wholesome feel. The stylish geodesic domes include personal toiletries, real coffee, private fire pits and steamy wood-fired hot tubs so you will really feel on holiday, and thanks to its off-the-grid location, it’s a complete digital detox! No phone signal, no wifi, just switch off, un-wind and re-connect with yourself and the surroundings.
5. West Wales Camping Pods, West Wales
West Wales Camping Pods offers an eco-friendly stay in a beautiful, rural and off the beaten track setting on a working farm. Their lovely camping pods are are made with sustainable timber and insulated with sheep’s wool, creating a snug place to stay whilst being kind to the environment. They have a fully equipped communal kitchen with separate toilet and shower pods, and each pod has lighting, heating and a fridge to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible. There is a covered BBQ area so you can cook up a feast in the summer months, and visitors can say hello to the animals on the working farm. All that is needed for a relaxing and responsible holiday!
