Everybody Yurts
June 8, 2010 Something Different, Uncategorized
Our Editor Emily reports back from a family holiday with a difference…
Woodsmoke, birdsong, toasted marshmallows and the great outdoors. All the cliches that come with camping sound wonderful, but the reality is often very different. You’re probably more likely to wake up feeling damp and dusgruntled with the sides of your tent sagging beneath the rain. That’s if you managed to relax at all the night before, after the trauma of arriving at the campsite and having to unpack the car and assemble the tent before dusk. Camping with children can be even more difficult: what happens when they wake up at dawn and want to fathom the zip and run off into the forest? This is where ‘glamping’ (glamorous camping) comes into play.
True glamping - champagne overlooking the Cambrian Mountains
We’re not really cut out for living in the outdoors, but Mongolian nomads are. This isn’t a piece about taking the kids on holiday to the Mongolian Desert (although that does sound like a very exciting adventure.) Thankfully, there seem to be quite a few yurts springing up across the UK. The Mongolian dwellings, constructed from wood, wool and canvas, strike the perfect balance between camping and home comforts. There’s enough space to walk around, proper beds to sleep on and a wood burning stove to keep everybody warm.
Looking up - morning view from bed out of the yurt wheel
We stayed at The Yurt Farm in Wales, an intimate site offering a total of four yurts on a working, organic farm. The location of the yurts is stunning, with views across open farmland and a dramatic Cambrian valley. After a couple of hours, you become accustomed to the site of gigantic red kites circling above. There’s no electricity here, apart from one point for charging phones in the kitchen. Everything is wind or solar-powered, including the warm, spotless showers. The composting toilets are heaven compared to the grot of portaloos or chemical toilets. The beautiful communal kitchen comes equipped with all the cooking utensils you’ll ever need and a wide selection of board games and outdoor toys. Close by is the play area, complete with sandpit and the chicken coop, from which you’re welcome to collect your own eggs. The yurts themselves are spacious and clean, with handmade furniture crafted from wood from the farm.
The owners of The Yurt Farm, Thea and Laurie, have lovingly built this beautiful retreat on their working organic farm, Crynfyn. You’ll receive a hamper of fresh fruit, veg and eggs on arrival and you can buy more (surprisingly reasonably priced) food from their farm shop. Everyone’s welcome to a guided tour of the farm and children love getting close to lambs, chickens, ducks and the friendly herd of cows.
There’s more to a holiday at The Yurt Farm than tractors and mud though; the perfect Mid Wales location means you’reonly a 20-minute drive away from the coast. We visited the charming seaside town of New Quay with its pastel coloured houses, pristine beach and rock pools. Thea and Laurie provide a brilliant list of nearby beaches to suit every taste, from hidden coves to sprawling dunes, there’s a stretch for everyone.
The beautiful beach at nearby New Quay
The Yurt Farm offers the perfect blend of holiday comfort and the great outdoors and is the perfect base for a romantic weekend away or an action-packed family holiday. Everything is eco, but this place is unpretentious and warm.The holiday felt magical - like a magnificent adventure in another world only a (stunning) few hours drive from home.
A 3 night weekend break in an 18 foot yurt (sleeping up to six) costs £195. Nightly rate £70. A peak season, 7 night holiday costs £550. Also available is an 18 foot yurt with 14 foot mini yurt and a large 21 foot yurt, both sleeping a total of up to eight.
There is some late availability at The Yurt Farm this coming weekend (the 11th, 12th and 13th of June.) Visit the website or email info@theyurtfarm.co.uk
Comments (1)
I’m leaving now!