THE best camping experience for 2024 has been revealed by some top camping experts.
The winter weather is slowly starting to move on, with the summer months just around the corner – meaning families are thinking about where they might go on holiday.
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Wales is an ever popular destination for Brits not looking to head abroad and it turns out, it’s also home to the country’s best campsite.
That’s according to Hipcamp, who described themselves as “the most comprehensive resource for discovering and booking unique outdoor stays including tent camping, cabins, treehouses, and glamping”.
In a list of the top 12 campsites in the United Kingdom, one shone above the rest, in a picture perfect location on the Welsh coast.
Henbant Permaculture Farm and Camp is described by Hipcamp as “a small, sustainable farm site with epic sea views, set in the foothills of Snowdonia”.
It offers a more unique camping experience to your run-of-the-mill site, with all pitches lined up in a row.
Instead, Henbant has just eight camping spots in a spacious meadow, where visitors are able to gather their own firewood, pick vegetables from the site’s veg patch and enjoy an almost wild camping experience.
Hipcamp continued: “Mountains on one side and the sea on the other, Henbant Permaculture Farm will surely impart on you the same love of the natural world its owners have.
“The pitches are spaced apart for your privacy, including individual ones for small groups, wind-sheltered campervan spots landscaped into the hillside, and a large group pitch ideal for family gatherings.
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“Regardless of where you plant your tent, you’ll be treated to some stunning views of both the Clynnog Fawr countryside and the Irish Sea. The sunsets are incredible.”
As well as camping spots, there are some unique cabin stays available at Henbant, including a small selection of handbuilt properties.
One of those is the Viking Longhouse, a turf-covered cabin built into the ground and described online as an “underground hobbit hideaway”.
It offers campfire cooking, a log-burning stove, comfy beds, a kitchen, hot water and a shower surrounded by the Welsh countryside with views of the sea.
Elsewhere, there’s the roundhouse – a woodland fairy house that has enough room to sleep five deep in the woods on the site.
It also comes with a barbecue/firepit, electricity, running water and hot shower.
Henbant describe it as “the perfect place to step into a different pace and be at one with nature”.
It’s been a hit with previous guests too, with one writing on Airbnb: “Such a beautiful place to get away from the world for a few days. The roundhouse is absolutely stunning, such care and attention has gone into building this beautiful place.”
Another said: “The roundhouse house is full of character, the views beautiful and being right in the forest adds up to something very special.”
A third added: “This is, hands down, the most magical and inspiring place we have ever stayed.
“We stayed with our two kids–13 and 9–and all of us agreed it was simply the ideal place to stay.”
Also, being situated in the heart of Snowdonia national park, it’s well placed for people who want to go exploring or hiking.
Guests staying at the campsite also have access to woodland hammocks, a sauna, bacon, sausages and eggs produced on the farm, a converted cowshed with books, sofas and a fridge and at the right time of year, friendly lambs to play with.
And Aberdesach Beach is very close by too, with walks from the campsite taking just under an hour, or car journeys taking less than ten minutes.
Bookings at Henbant start from £15 for adults with kids going free.
When visiting any campsite this summer it’s important to make sure you’re not making simple mistakes that could ruin your holiday.
David Scotland owns camping equipment retailer Outdoor World Direct and knows all about how to make a camping trip run smoothly.
Check your tent
David recommends putting your tent up a couple of weeks before you’re due to travel to give you enough time to repair or replace any damaged parts.
He told Sun Online Travel: “You’d be surprised how many people turn up with broken tents.”
Test the ground
Picking a good spot to pitch your tent is difficult, with lots of things to consider.
One of those should be the condition of the ground you’re putting your tent on top of, according to David.
He said: “Once you’ve found the perfect spot, test the ground with your pegs before you commit to camping there to make sure the ground is soft enough.”
Don’t nap in your tent
It may seem the perfect place for it, but a nap in a tent could end badly, if it’s done at the wrong time of the day.
David explained: “If the sun’s shining and it’s hot inside your tent – don’t do it!
“One of our friends nodded off in his tent during a heatwave at Glastonbury and ended up at the medical tent with heatstroke.”
Instead, he recommends finding some shade outside or somewhere well ventilated.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Meanwhile, this huge UK campsite is also in Wales and is regularly visited by dolphins.
And this campsite looks like it’s abroad and even has its own beach.
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