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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
