Monday, 27 September 2021

Cloud Nine Glamping

Press Trip
We were invited along to try out Cloud Nine's luxury glamping this summer, but it wasn't until the end of our summer travels that we made it up to the Cotswolds and experienced it for ourselves.  With a festival vibe and plenty of activities for all the family, Cloud Nine was a real highlight of our summer and these photos hopefully show you why!

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

When we arrived, check in was an easy process and there were golf buggies to take all our belongings and us to the tent, which meant no lugging things around with the children in tow thankfully!  We were in a Luxury Bell Tent which came with a double bed and four floor beds for the children.  All bedding was provided, as were towels and blankets.  Our tent had some goodies left for us and crockery for any cooking we might want to do. We had our own clean portaloo, table and benches and firepit too with a bag of wood so there were so many options and it felt very Covid Secure.  The tent was comfortable and spacious for the six of us and felt very luxurious compared to our usual camping style!

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

There were three fields of accommodation (different types of tent were available) and then two main areas for activities.  Not far from us was the main area which had a bar, four food trucks, trampolines, table tennis, a playground, a creche, plenty of seating both covered and uncovered and access to the forest which is where many activities were held.  Next to this area was the reception, bike hire and spa tent  and then at the other end of the campsite there was a small selection of rides, go-karts and the pirates tent.  

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

We started the weekend exploring the area, building dens in the woods and us adults having a drink in the bar area whilst the children made friends on the trampolines and in the playground.  There were no bookable activities for the swap over days (you can book Monday-Friday or Friday-Monday which meant we could explore at our leisure.  There was a family bingo evening though which was free to join in and we managed to win quite a few games between us! The children loved the pace and the challenge and they really loved winning!  

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

We had pre booked a few activities for our stay and managed to book some extras last minute after seeing how fun they looked in person.  This isn't always possible so booking early is advised.  There were plenty of activities available, but the ones we did were:

Pony trekking - The little two went for a half hour pony trek through the forest.  Each child had an adult leading their pony and parents could choose to leave them to it or walk along. Both absolutely loved this, and Cora spent as much time as she could visiting the ponies during our stay as the children were allowed to help brush them.

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

Robot Making - There were a few craft sessions but I thought this one would appeal most to all four children.  They all made very different robots using the materials and despite my older ones not being convinced they wanted to join in originally, they were the last ones sat in the craft area finishing off their work.

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

Zip-lining -  This was available for 4-8 year olds so the younger three did it.  They all loved their first experience of being harnessed and pulling poses as they zoomed through the trees.

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

Tree climbing - After seeing how much they loved the zip lining, I booked Archie and Finn into
tree climbing.  Archie had a great time, but Finn struggled to get the hang of the process.

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

Laser Tag - This was an activity for Ed and the boys and was set in the forest.  This was definitely a highlight for them and I was gutted I couldn't get involved!


Each evening there was a different entertainment put on.  As I mentioned earlier, the first night was Bingo and the last night was a family quiz run by the same team.  The middle night for us was a silent disco and I think this was unanimously voted the highlight of the trip for us.  There were three channels, one with a live DJ running it and the headphones had quite a wide range so you could choose to dance in the tents, walk around the area or (as the children loved) bounce on the trampolines.  There was a lady offering face painting (for an additional fee) and the mood was fantastic.  We spent almost the whole four hours at the silent disco and the children haven't stopped asking when we can go to another!

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

As well as the booked activities and the evening entertainment (which is included), there were additional activities you could do on site.  There was a tent for painting pottery which was reasonably priced and a great calm activity.  There was a small fairground which we included the bungee trampolines, a big inflatable obstacle course and go-karting track (all additional costs).  Unfortunately there was no food or drink available down this end when we visited, it would have been lovely to have a little stall down there.

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

There was also the pirates tent, a colourful bell tent full of toys and energetic 'pirates' who were on hand to entertain.  They had outdoor toys, engaged with the kids and gave us adults a chance to stand back and watch whilst they played.  This was included in the stay and was our go-to area when the rain hit! The staff had endless energy and were fantastic at coming up with creative ways to play with all the children.  For additional childcare (when you really need a break) there was a creche area run by qualified nannies who were available both in the day and for evening babysitting slots in the tents.  We hired one for a couple of hours and she did a craft with the children in our tent before settling them for the night whilst we enjoyed a quiet drink in the bar.

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

There are definitely areas I think Cloud Nine could improve on before next year, I would have loved more information on timings (the pirates did a bedtime story each evening in their tent, but we weren't told when).  More food options or a small onsite shop would have been good too, especially as there was regularly one of the four stalls shut or sold out.  Everyone we met was so friendly and helpful though and we had the most fantastic weekend.

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping

cloud nine glamping, family glamping, cotswolds glamping



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Tuesday, 14 September 2021

Five Days in Bournemouth with Kids

I feel like I barely got my camera out during the five days we spent in Bournemouth and it was lovely. After our week in South Wales which was all about the natural beauty and outdoor adventures, Bournemouth offered a different kind of holiday (still very beautiful).  We stayed in a Daish's hotel, something I have done before with the children.  They are quite old fashioned and designed mostly with an older generation in mind, but they also offer packages for families and include breakfast and dinner each day as well as prime seafront locations so it seemed a great choice for us.

We had to get two separate rooms (the downside of being a larger family) but they were next door to each other.  We were right on the Westcliff, only a stone's throw from the sea and had two of our meals each day covered.  The children loved the hotel and choosing their beds and it had everything we needed for a comfortable and enjoyable stay.

Bournemouth with kids, explore Dorset, family travel blogger

We didn't explore as far on this trip, making the most of everything that was within walking distance.  We visited the aquarium which was at the base of the pier, walked through the beautiful gardens and explored the shops.  We swam in the sea and played on the beach and found ourselves down on the sand every evening after dinner, running off the last of the days energy.  We walked down the pier at sunset to go on the helter skelter and I went running along the flat promenades which stretch for miles.

Bournemouth with kids, explore Dorset, family travel blogger

We spent a day at Adventure Wonderland, a small theme park for younger children (I exchanged Tesco Clubcard vouchers for tickets) and despite me being a bit apprehensive on arrival, we didn't leave until they were shutting the gates as the children were having so much fun.  There were a selection of rides, a soft play, playground, small pony area and a brilliant maze and it is a fun day out, probably best suited to children aged 3-8.

We also decided to spend a day exploring on public transport and Bournemouth had an open top bus route with plenty of places to get off and explore.  I grew up holidaying in Christchurch every year and I wanted to take the children to some of the places I remember from my childhood.  We stopped at Mudeford Quay and watched people crabbing, enjoying the beach and played in the fantastic playground.  We went along to Boscombe pier where you can play crazy golf with a ball made of fish food and shoot it into the sea at the end.  There were big rocks on the beach which they all loved climbing on and jumping off.

Bournemouth with kids, explore Dorset, family travel blogger

Bournemouth is a beautiful place to explore and there is so much for families.  We all agreed that it was friendly and somewhere we would go back to.  There is so much we didn't get to fit in but the slower pace suited us all and the evenings spent on the sand are some of my favourite summer memories.

Bournemouth with kids, explore Dorset, family travel blogger

Bournemouth with kids, explore Dorset, family travel blogger

Bournemouth with kids, explore Dorset, family travel blogger

Bournemouth with kids, explore Dorset, family travel blogger



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Wednesday, 8 September 2021

Day out in South Wales // Techniquest

Most of our trip to South Wales was spent outdoors exploring the Brecon Beacons and Gower Peninsula and I came away with a real sense of the beauty that the country has to offer.  We were keen to get to Cardiff for a day though to see another side of Wales and booked in a session at Techniquest, the city's science museum.

My children are not usually museum children, they like to explore at their own paces and they just want to touch everything, but I had only heard good things about Techniquest and it was the perfect kind of museum for them, one where they don't even realise they are learning anything. 

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

The whole experience is hands-on and experimental and the space is set out so that older children can explore a little more independently.  There are two floors, linked by both stairs and a slide and each one has separate areas looking at different aspects of science.  The museum was easy to find with plenty of parking nearby and the floor to ceiling windows made it bright and light.  It is situated next to the Mermaid Quay and plenty of lovely places to eat.

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

Due to covid measures, time slots had to be booked, but we had three hours which was plenty to see the whole museum and go back to favourite activities.  Everything was well spaced out and even though the session was fully booked, it was easy to stay socially distanced.  There were lots of hand sanitiser stations and adults were required to wear masks.  There were a couple of shows available for a small additional fee but we decided not to book in advance for those and unfortunately they were fully booked on the day. I would highly recommend the experience for primary school aged children, all four of mine (aged 5-10) thought it was incredible and a wonderful start to our day exploring the city of Cardiff.


South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum

South Wales, Days out with kids, Techniquest, Cardiff science museum


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