A Long Weekend at Blackdown Yurts

Press Trip

We first visited Devon as a family two years ago and it has been somewhere we have been looking to come back to ever since.  The beautiful countryside seems so much more green than at home, the beaches so much more dramatic, the people so friendly and we have spent months looking forward to visiting Blackdown Yurts this summer.  It was meant to be part of a bigger trip but due to the current climate, everything else got cancelled, so there was even more riding on our stay there.

Blackdown Yurts are in Cullompton, set properly in the countryside where you can feel like you have truly escaped from real life.  There are four yurts in total as well as some cottages but each one comes with so much outdoor space that it was easy to live in a little bubble of the six of us.  

The drive there took so much longer than expected thanks to traffic and by the time we arrived, the children were desperate to run and move and they couldn't contain their excitement to explore our yurt.  Many glamping sites seem to accomodate smaller families but it isn't often that we find one ideally set up for the six of us.  We stayed in Woodpecker which had one double bed and four singles so everyone had their space.  Outside our yurt we had our own compost toilet, our own table and benches, a campfire and our own camp kitchen with a tap.  Right in front of us was a huge field which we could go exploring in and if we walked past the sheep, we could go to see the two friendly ponies, Felix and Beau.  Everywhere we looked was fresh and green and there was so much space that they could run around to their hearts content.

We met Katie and Mark who showed us round and were happy to supply us with information and recommendations on the local area.  They made us feel immediately welcome and the children couldn't stop talking at them!  Everything was easy to find and understand and everything we needed was provided, from wood for the log burner inside the yurt and campfire outside, to a starter kit for our bbq.  There is also a main barn which would be lovely and cosy to spend an evening in.  At the moment it is used for necessities rather than socialising and there is a full kitchen in there as well as an individual fridge for each yurt.  There are also four flushable toilets and hot shower cubicles, one marked clearly for each yurt and hand sanitising stations all around.  As everything we used was reserved solely for our yurt it was easy to avoid any contamination or closeness with anyone else.  

Often with camping and glamping, I love the experience but look forward to getting home for a hot shower and a proper meal after but Blackdown Yurts is ideal for a longer stay as the equipment means you can sleep close to nature, step out each morning to see the rolling green hills of Devon, but also still have those home comforts like a warm wool duvet and a hot private shower.

I don't know if it was the beautiful surroundings or the knowledge that this long weekend was our whole summer holiday away, but there was something really special about our time there.  The children slept in every morning, we loved exploring the nature all around us and in the evenings after we had toasted marshmallows around the campfire, we lay on blankets and watched the stars in the night sky, amazed at how many were clear when you move away from all the street lights.  The children thrived with the freedom to run around and be wild, they needed the screen time detox which is so much harder to do at home and they all want to come back to Blackdown Yurts again.  It was ideal for us as a young family but during the same weekend there was also a group of six friends in their early twenties and a family with older children and a dog (The site is dog friendly but they must be in leads) so it caters to so many different groups.

If you are looking to experience glamping, or are a seasoned camper looking for some luxury then we can't recommend Blackdown Yurts enough.  If you want to book for the end of this season (Some of the yurts are open until the October Half Term and there are lots of midweek breaks before then too) then use the code MUMMY10 for a discount!

Thank you to Katie and Mark for hosting us, we will definitely be back!

The Yurt

Each bed came with a wool pillow and duvet and the beds were properly protected so everything could be washed well between visitors.  There was space to store things in the chest of drawers and a torch and tea lights provided.  We loved the fairy lights around the inside of the yurt too.

The Barn

I think this would be an amazing area to utilise if you visit as a bigger group as there is plenty of space for everyone to eat together.  At the moment the barn is just used for access to the fridges but one morning we entered to find some freshly grown vegetables available to be taken and they tasted delicious!

The Facilities

We had our own table and benches, fire pit with chairs, bbqq, kitchen and toilet so there was no need to share facilities. Everything was incredibly clean and we loved having a kitchen to make coffee and breakfast in each morning.

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Red Letter Days // Glamping with Finn

Red Letter Days provided me with a voucher to cover our glamping experience

After so long under one roof, I have been keen to find ways to spend quality time with each child individually before school restarts and thanks to Red Letter Days, Finn and I escaped for an overnight glamping experience close to home.

I have been trying to spend special time with each child but it isn't always easy.  I managed to get away camping for a couple of nights with the bigger two, but Finn missed out and I wanted to do something special with him.  Red Letter Days offered me a voucher for a glamping pod experience and I found a site less than half an hour from home which gave us the ideal balance of being somewhere new and feeling like we had gotten away, but being close enough that it was easy to get there and back for just an overnight stay.

We picked Hawk Place Camping which is set alongside a stables, surrounded by countryside in three directions and the coast in the fourth.  We stayed in one of two pods and it was ideal for the two of us.  With electricity, a kettle and a proper bed, the pod felt comfortable and a home from home but being in such beautiful surroundings kept us feeling close to nature.  We were surrounded by horses in fields and there was plenty of places to explore.

In the other direction was a footpath that led straight down to the sea.  From there we could walk about 10 minutes to Minnis Bay which is a sandy beach with safe swimming, fish and chips and a restaurant and there were cycle trails/walking paths going in both directions as it is a lovely stretch of coastline to explore.  We walked down along the sand to Minnis Bay and got chips to eat by the sea before exploring the area further.  The sun sets over the sea on this corner of the county and it is the best place to watch the sunsets.  The sky was beautiful as we walked back to our pod.

The campsite was clean and easy to navigate with Covid measures in place like contactless check in.  Our pod was clean as were all communal areas and it was easy to stay away from others at all times.  Camping and glamping feels like one of the safest ways to get away at the moment and it was lovely to explore more of Kent and the UK.  It has been one of my favourite things about this summer as we are usually away for most of the six weeks.  I have discovered so many local gems and I think Hawk Place will be somewhere we come glamping again, especially with Red Letter Days as it was easy to book with my voucher.

Finn loved getting some quality time with me, setting the pace and it really helped me feel closer to my special boy.  This is definitely something we will both remember for a long time. 

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Our Week in Kiani Beach Resort, Crete.

As Autumn hit full swing, the rain started falling and the shops were full of scarves and hats, we found the shorts that had been pushed to the back of the drawer, dusted off our sunglasses and flew to Crete to spend a week at Kiani Beach Resort in Chania, part of SeaCrete hotels.  It was not only our first time in Greece, but our first time as a family going on an all-inclusive hotel style holiday too and everyone was excited.

We paid for our own flights but the people at Kiani offered us a stay at the resort in exchange for our honest feedback and they collected us from Chania airport around 3.5 hours after we left London.  We were greeted at the hotel with sea views, spacious areas and wonderful smiles.  In fact, the entire week the staff were so happy and helpful, the Greek hospitality is incomparable. 

Our week was wonderful and the children (and the adults) are desperate to go back again. I will talk later about their favourite bits, but I have broken down our stay into headings so that I don't start rambling.

The Rooms

We usually struggle to find hotels that accommodate our larger family but our room at Kiani Beach Resort was spacious enough for the six of us. Downstairs there was a huge bed for us and a cot for Cora (she isn't in a cot at home anymore but loves the novelty of staying in one although she prefers to sleep right in the middle of my bed).  There was also a bathroom, mini kitchen and plenty of storage space from wardrobes to cupboards.  On a mezzanine level there was three beds for the boys and a separate bathroom.  The boys beds were all close together (Finn was on a fold out bed in the middle) and they loved it, especially as there was a tv that they could all watch.  Despite the fact we were all in one apartment it felt spacious and fitted our needs well.

Our apartment had a balcony with a table and chairs and a drying rack which was perfect for drying off swimwear each night! Our balcony looked over the pools and bar.  Every day our rooms were cleaned and beds made, our dressing gowns were folded and fresh towels were left if requested. There are lots of room options at Kiani Beach.

The Pools and Beach

Kiani Beach Resort is comprised of the original resort and a newer half that is built right next to it.  As well as having a private beach, there are four outdoor pools and one indoor pool.  We found the outdoor pools were a little chilly to spend all day in during our October visit but I imagine they were fantastic in the summer and we still spent plenty of time in them.  Our favourite was the one pictured below which had 50 metre swimming lanes as well as plenty of space to play.  There is a shallow circular kids pool and another kids pool with four slides in.  The indoor pool was lovely and warm, spacious and never busy during our stay.  Each pool was surrounded by sunbeds and we never had a problem finding free ones and on both sides there is a pool bar.

We didn't spend much time at the beach as the children preferred the pools but I loved that there were both options so you can mix things up.  The pools were all so clean and well maintained and all were open from 9am to 9pm during our stay.  All of the pools allowed inflatables and there was a shop on site that sold all kinds from lilos to arm bands and all the crazy rubber rings.

The Play Areas

My children love a playground and there were two at Kiani Beach Resort, one on each half of the resort.  On the side we were staying on was a smaller park and on the other side next to the sea was a larger one with a pirate ship playground as well as swings and playhouses.  We spent lots of time there and the children could play whilst we sat at the bar (both pool bars are next door to the two playgrounds). Everything was well looked after and they were open all evening so the children could play out there late in the evening if they had a little two much energy after the dessert buffet!

The Kid's Clubs

Kid's clubs might not be for everyone but my children love them.  The love the organised activities, the chance to have some time away from us and the possibility of meeting new friends.  The kids club at Kiani Beach is for 4-8 year olds (although younger children can join in as long as a parent stays) and I believe there is one on for older children but mine are all in the younger group.  Every morning between 10.30 and 1pm there were activities outdoors which ranged from crafting and t-shirt painting to fishing in the sea and every afternoon from 4-6 there were activities indoors.  Both sides of the resort had their own kids clubs so there were always activities to choose.  The big two loved creating their own t-shirts (10 euros sur-charge) and they enjoyed playing bowls whilst Cora's favourite was the sandcastles and beach games morning.  Finn loved the games in the afternoon clubs.  We didn't take them every day but they knew when the clubs were on and had the option to go in and out.

Every afternoon at 12.30 a local donkey called Hercules came and the children could feed him and have a little ride in his cart.  Cora loved feeding him apples and carrots and going for a ride around a small patch of grass.

Every evening there was a kids disco at 8.30 followed by a family activity.  We did kids movie night at the bar and watched the belly dancing. We missed the magic show and bingo sadly but every night was different. Whilst one pool bar had entertainment, the other had live music and a relaxed atmosphere and we spent the evenings there sometimes playing games of uno.  The animators (kids club crew) were around every evening in the bars, running the entertainment and spending time with families and the children were over the moon when they came and joined us for games some evenings.  

The Food and Drink

It was our first time as a family trying out an all-inclusive hotel and I must say we all adapted well to the lifestyle. I am still in amazement at how much they can eat! Every morning there was a huge breakfast buffet with traditional cooked breakfast, a chef making omlette and pancakes fresh, cereals, cheese and meat and pastries.  Every lunch and evening there was a huge selection of hot foods as well as plenty of salad and an amazing dessert selection.  There was a specific kids area that had things like fish fingers, chip and peas so the fussier eaters (like Finn) could have their favourites.  As a vegetarian I found there were always options and plenty of salad choices.  Often things like roast potatoes were cooked with ham though so I had to look carefully.  There was always plain pasta with a choice of sauces and the chefs were cooking fresh food to order at one counter with a different choice each day.

We had the VIP bands which meant as well as the unlimited soft drinks, alcoholic drinks and local beer and wine, we could order from the cocktail menu and have some branded alcoholic drinks each day too.  I was a huge fan of the Strawberry daiquiri and these could be ordered at the bar until 11pm each night.  The children were delighted to find out that there was a kids cocktail they could order too although they really liked the self service machine for juices and fizzy drinks too.

At the pool bars, you could order a fresh crepe between 11 and 6pm with either sweet or savoury fillings and this was one of our favourite things to do.  They were absolutely delicious! There was also self serve ice cream and cones out twice a day for the children to cool down with and a fridge full of snack foods like sandwiches and cakes which you could help yourself to during the day if you needed something between meals.

We had such an amazing week at Kiani Beach Resort in Chania and I will be writing more about what else we got up to during our week.  The onsite excursions office can organise trips and hire cars (both of which we used) but as a family we could have happily spent all week at the resort and exploring on foot.  It was such a safe, friendly and family focused resort that we are all hoping we can return to. Check out their current offers here!

You can read about our day at the sister hotel Kaylves Beach Hotel here  and about our day trip to Chania city here. 

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