Glamping in Cwmcarn Forest

Over the half term I decided to take my boys on a last minute glamping trip to Cwmcarn Forest as I had come across their stylish pods on local instagrammer Hayley's feed and was inspired to check the Pods out and see what they were all about. If you read my blog you will know we have done a fair bit of glamping from vintage caravans, tipi's, medieval tents to even a horse box we have pretty much done it all except these wooden style pods.

Cwmcarn Forest itself is only around a 35 min drive from where we live which made it a great base as I was doing this solo parenting and with little phone reception as the pods are located at the base of a forest meant we felt secluded but not isolated.

There are a few options when it comes to these Pods as you can go very basic where you bring your own airbeds or mats and sleeping bags and use them simply as "wooden tents" or you can opt for a few more luxuries and go for the furnished option which is what we did. The furnished pods come with a double bed (bunks can also be placed inside to accommodate families) and a wall heater, as well as a comfy seat and coffee making station with kettle, mugs and a mini fridge. There is also picnic style seating outside each pod and an area to bbq and in addition to that there are of course toilets, hot showers, a laundry room and small kitchen room.

We happened to stay over on the coldest night of the Autumn season with temperatures dropping down to freezing, so obviously I took that into consideration when packing for our trip but felt confident we could keep warm inside the pod and I was right. Having the small heater was a major bonus as this kept our pod nice and cosy and along with our season 3 sleeping bags and a few extra blankets I brought along meant we stayed warm through the night.

Once we got settled in I was really keen to explore the local forest area and I had read reviews prior to arriving that it was a great family friendly destination as well very popular with mountain bikers. The Visitors centre where you check-in is only a couple of minutes walk from the pods and has an excellent little Cafe, the perfect stop to warm your self up before heading on a hike. We stopped in for a quick coffee and cake and then made our way along the Nant Carn Walk along little river up to a beautiful lake and this circular route is perfect for young children and toddlers.

When we got to the lake the boys made a few boats out of the huge Autumn leaves that were everywhere, we also spotted some fish, ducks and what appeared to be a Red Kite or Buzzard flying high above. Despite the drop in temperature we had prepared ourselves well with thermals and jackets meaning we could make the most of the outdoor time before it got dark.

When we returned to the pods there was a lovely atmosphere as two other families were staying as well as a group of friends who had come for the mountain bike trails. As it was starting to get dark I quickly rustled up some camp food in the form of scrambled eggs and baked beans followed by the boys roasting marshmallows and a cup of hot chocolate. We then decided to retreat into our warm pod and hunker down and watch a Disney film on the tablet the boys share. 

The next day we woke up and enjoyed some warm porridge and hot tea before the boys played in the morning frost which had covered all the grass outside our pod. As we decided we enjoyed the lake so much we decided we would head up there again after we had packed everything up. We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend it and I think we will probably come again either over winter or the spring as it offers that nature element but still means you can stay warm. 

*I paid and booked for this myself, this is not a sponsored post.