A night in Tylau Yurt, Hay-on-Wye

Near the end of summer I decided on a whim to book a night in a Yurt as we have done all sorts of glamping from Bell Tents, Pods, converted horse van and a converted WW1 wagon but we had yet to stayed overnight in a Yurt. So I did a quick search on Airbnb and discovered a family-friendly Yurt within walking distance of Hay-on-Wye, the market town famed for it's many bookstores and literacy festival.

It's also well located to the Brecon Beacons and offers tons of outdoor pursuits, we had been hoping to kayak down the river why but due to heavy rainfall a few days prior to our mini-break meant the river levels were too high, but on the flip side we decided to do a waterfall walk which was fantastic. Back to the Yurt, even though I had booked it on Airbnb I discovered it was part of Outdoors@Hay which offers outdoor adventures and accommodation.

The Yurt looked perfect for a quick break away from reality and has some modern facilities without taking away too much of the authenticity and at the end of the day, it's still camping, which is what I love. It's really well furnished and was spotless when we arrived and despite the temperature dropping at night we kept warm and toasting using the log burner. We also lit the outside campfire which is fantastic as many sites these days don't allow for campfires so toasting some smores and marshmallows over the fire is always a treat for the boys.

As I've said we love camping but for a quick getaway glamping is a fantastic option as everything is already set up and no lugging equipment around with you. Tylau Yurt had plenty of bed linen and duvets plus all the crockery and cutlery you need to cook up a storm on the gas oven. There is also plenty of seating, in fact they have managed to fit a large table inside so you can sit down to a feast as well as picnic benches outside were we sat and ate pastries in the morning.

As with normal camping do take warm clothes to sleep in at night, there is no electric although lamps are provided but like I said the log burner kept us nice and warm while we listen to owls hooting and the gentle patter of drizzle on the yurt, a great way to switch off from screens and we all had a good nights sleep. As the check-out at this Yurt was only midday we decided to have a nice and slow morning, enjoying coffee and breakfast while watching the boys kick a football in the field, as well as watching some horses gallop by in an adjacent field.

We then headed over to Hay-On-Wye, one of my favourite towns in the Wye Valley and no matter what day of the week you go in summer it's bustling with visitors mainly there to uncover some rare books or take in the cafe culture. We wandered around the winding streets, picked up a book for myself and the kids and then we popped into Richard Booth's Bookshop Cafe which serves some delicious home-made brunch and I highly recommend visiting if you're in the area.

After lunch, we decided to head to Pwll-y-Wrach Nature reserve near Talgarth to do a child-friendly walk to a beautiful waterfall. There is a tiny little carpark which only fits around 3/4 cars and despite the natural beauty of the place it's very quite and a good alternative to the much busier waterfall walks in the Brecon Beacons. Despite all the mud we really enjoyed this walk and you can also walk up above the waterfalls for the birds-eye view. Overall a great little getaway in the Wye Valley. 

We paid £100 for all of us for one night in the Tylau Yurt during summer, which I feel is very reasonable considering it's peak season and within walking distance of Hay-on-Wye. Parking is also free on-site and you have access to plenty of modern toilets and showers as well as a shared fridge and your stay also includes a bag of wood for the fires. We really enjoyed this little off-grid break away from screens and wifi and do check out my in my vlog from our trip below. Another website that is also really good for glamping deals with Groupon, I have been a long time Groupon user to purchase discount treats and days out for the family and you can find some real bargains on there from time to time.