How do you find the perfect campsite for your family? If the responsibility for organising a family camping trip falls on your shoulders, you may be forgiven for thinking it’s a thankless task. Decisions, decisions – should you go for the full-on holiday-park campsite with all the facilities or choose somewhere smaller for that back-to-nature experience?

Trericket Mill camping in Wales

For one thing you can’t control the weather, yet if it pours the disappointed faces will be turned in your direction. If you experience some damp days you’ll wish that you’d booked that larger site with swimming pool, games room and some indoor space to shelter from the showers. On the other hand, if the weather’s glorious, there’s nothing better than pottering about in some unspoilt beauty spot with amazing views, far from any amenities or civilisation, as epitomised by the Tiny Campsite style of camping.

I think we found the perfect balance last year at Trericket Mill in Wales, when we booked a bunk-room for shelter, yet camped in the old orchard with ducks and chickens for company and went swimming in a deep plunge pool in the mountain stream that ran through the site. Should the weather have been really unkind we would have retired to the guest sitting room in the main mill house and ordered a home cooked vegetarian meal.

Bucklegrove Campsite near Cheddar, Somerset

This year I thought I’d found a great combination in Bucklegrove campsite near Cheddar in Somerset. Only an hour from where we live in Bristol, it is easily accessible by public transport – useful when you have hoards of teenagers and only one car for transport. The famous Cheddar caves are just down the road and there’s glorious walking on the Mendip Hills. The campsite itself is a well-kept family-run place with spotless amenities and colourful hanging baskets everywhere. We found that we had the best of both worlds with a swimming pool, a small shop and a family bar where you can relax with a drink and the paper. If you don’t want to join the neat rows of mobile homes, caravans and large family tents in the main site, you can opt for the wilder option in the camping field next door with bags of space between the tents, room to play a game of cricket or two and a fabulous view of the Cheddar countryside.

But I think that my family’s tastes are erring on the wild side. When I asked my daughter whether she and her friends had enjoyed staying at the campsite she said yes, but the swimming pool had been rather packed with other children for their taste. Next year, perhaps we could find a campsite with a lake to swim in? The search for the perfect campsite goes on ….

Have you found you perfect campsite yet?

This was posted as part of Photo Friday hosted at Delicious Baby – do head on over to check out all the other Friday Photos

By the way, thanks so much to Onetravel.com for publishing my Guest post on the hill towns of Groznjan and Motovan in Istria, Croatia – do take a look.

Camping resources

Bucklegrove Caravan and Camping Park, Wells Road, Rodney Stoke, Cheddar, Somerset, BS27 3UZ, UK
Trericket Mill, Erwood, Builth Wells, Powys, LD2 3TQ, Wales, UK
Cheddar Caves and Gorge, Somerset

Other camping trips you’ll enjoy reading about

A Fairy Tale of camping in mid-Wales
Camping in sunshine and showers – on the Gower in Wales
10 Tiny campsites and eco-travel – interview with Dixe Wills – podcast

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Camping photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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In my podcast interview with Dixe Wills, author of the Tiny Campsites guide, we discuss the benefits of slow travel and the things that make the campsites in this guide so special. You can read my review of the Tiny Campsite guide and hear Dixe’s tips and resources for those who want to travel in an environmentally friendly way. Like the Tiny Campsites Guide, this interview is guaranteed to leave you wanting to pack your tent and get out to enjoy these quirky and characterful campsites, handpicked by Dixe and all under one acre in size.

To download the Tiny Campsites and eco-travel podcast, right click here [mp3] 43 mins

To subscribe to all my podcasts in ITunes click here

Piel Island from Tiny Campsite

I met Dixe when we were both camping at Trericket Mill and Dixe was cycling around Wales to research his Tiny Campsites guide. We discuss how he got into travel writing when he was wondering how to pay the mortgage and on the spur of the moment wrote to the Guardian Newspaper travel editor to pitch an article on Wild Camping. However Dixe suggests that aspiring travel writers should take a reality check, as most freelancers barely make a living from travel writing and he claims to live on the LILO principle – Low Income,Low Outgoings.

We discuss how Dixe decided not to travel by plane any more after he had lived in Guatemala and after many transatlantic flights decided that the impact on the environment was too great – now he travels by train, public transport, on foot or by bike. Dixe finds that travelling slowly enhances his experience of travel as he spots different places from the train he might like to visit in the future and when walking or cycling appreciates the small details around him as well as connecting with local people and culture. He quotes the Arab saying that your soul only travels at the speed of a camel, which is why travelling too fast leaves you disorientated and gives you jet lag.

Resources

Dixe recommends the following resources to plan his travel by train and other public transport;

• Seat61.com – a website to help you plan train travel worldwide, named after the founder’s favourite seat on the Eurostar train. The site offers advice and information on planning different routes, train operators and the cheapest way to book your ticket.
• Transportdirect.info – for planning travel by public transport in the UK giving door to door information on what transport to use to get to your destination.
• Tourism websites – Dixe recommends using local or regional tourism websites for the destinations you want to visit as they often give useful information on how to get there.

Middle Ninfa from Tiny Campsite

Favourite places

We discuss favourite places that Dixe has visited that are off the beaten track but can be reached by public transport and he recommends;

• Herefordshire and Shropshire in England which have beautiful countryside for walking such as the Long Mynd Hills but unknown as tourist destinations – mainly because they have very few motorways running through them.
• The Cévennes in France is a large area of National Park with a small population as well as beautiful old stone villages – it was visited by Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote a book called Travels with a Donkey through the Cévennes. Dixe travelled to the Cévennes by taking the Eurostar from London to Paris and then the train on to the Cévennes region.
• West Sweden – Dixe will soon be visiting the lake district of West Sweden called Dalsland , which he plans to reach via Denmark on a combination of ferries and sleeper trains.

Dixe told me how he came to write the Tiny Campsites book when was cycling across Devon looking for a campsite to stay the night and could only find a large commercial site, but luckily spotted a small camping sign that led him to a small campsite on a farm. He looked for a guide to help him find other similar tiny campsites and realised that, as there wasn’t anything available, he would have to write his own. Over the years he had visited or had recommendations for many delightful tiny campsites and in order to research the book he cycled all over the UK to visit all 75 campsites in the book and more to select the best ones to include.

Park Farm from Tiny Campsite

Park Farmfrom Tiny Campsite

Although there are a wide range of Tiny campsites from farms to back gardens to pubs and museum gardens, the thing that unifies them all is the charm, character and beautiful locations or just an indefinable something that makes you want to go and camp there, as Dixe put it ”a little bit of heaven”. Although I am slightly put off camping by the changeable British weather, Dixe has found that crazy weather can be found anywhere and he recommends June and September as beautiful times to camp, with more settled weather than the July and August.

We discuss the trend towards more unusual or luxurious camping experiences from yurts, to campsites like Broad Meadow House in Cornwall where in addition to the normal camping area, there are a couple of permanent tents with beds and B & B facilities where a delicious breakfast can be delivered to your tent in the morning.

I asked Dixe for some favourite campsites from the book and his suggestions were;

• Great for families – Park Farm in Kildale, with fantastic views and walking and a camping barn on the same site where you can dry off if the weather is unkind.
• Fantastic Views – Middle Ninfa Farm with only 4 pitches, two of them beside a croquet lawn and amazing views over the Usk valley
• Coastal adventure – Piel Island in Cumbria – which can be reached by ferry or by walking at low tide with a ruined castle to explore and a pub where the landlord is known as the ‘King of Piel Island’

You can find more information about the Tiny Campsites guide at www.tinycampsites.co.uk and the book is widely available priced at £10.95 in your local bookshop or from the internet book sellers.

By the way, I featured Dixe and the Tiny Campsite guide because I love his travel philosophy and writing and not because of any financial inducement although I was previously given a copy of the guide to give away in my review.

Other camping articles to enjoy

Camping in sunshine and showers – on the Gower in Wales
Tiny Campsites guide of Great Britain by Dixe Wills – review and giveaway
Camping at Cala Gonone – in Sardinia

To subscribe to all my podcasts in ITunes click here

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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If the new Tiny Campsite guide by Dixe Wills doesn’t inspire to to head for the hills, valleys and farmers’ fields of England to pitch your lightweight tent and burn bangers over the camp fire, then nothing will.  Is there anything better than pitching your tent in a patch of meadow or a leafy glade and then waking up to birdsong and a view of the Great British Countryside? Dixe Wills doesn’t think so and to prove the point he’s written a guide to the Tiny Campsites of Great Britain – I have a copy to give away to one of my readers too. You can choose from 75 sites from all over the UK and all under an acre in size.

Park Farm Campsite from Tiny Campsites

This kind of camping has nothing to do with the rows of caravans, huge tents complete with satallite TV or any level of laid on entertainment, and it’s more back to nature than glamping and more down to earth than cool. This is about getting away from it all and enjoying the great British outdoors.

Little Wenfork Campsite from Tiny Campsites

I met Dixe when we were both staying at Trerickett Mill last summer in Wales, a glorious example of the tiny camping ideal with an old cider orchard to pitch your tent in complete with free range ducks and chickens as well as a charming stone bunkhouse and B & B in the old Mill House. (for those like me who enjoy the great outdoors but find the unpredictable British weather a bit of a challenge.

Through nearby woodland we found a place where the mill stream deepened into a swimming place with an icy plunge pool that made us all squeal. (I use the royal we here, you understand, you won’t catch me in an icy mountain stream but the kids loved it) Afterwards we warmed up by drinking hot chocolate and mugs of tea beside the campfire in an old oil drum that had been thoughtfully provided.

Dixie was doing a tour by bike of the Welsh campsites to include in his Tiny Campsites Guide and was carrying his tent and everything else with him – ah the simple life of a lightweight camper!

But back to the Tiny Campsites guide ….

Porthllisky Farm Campsite from Tiny Campsites

Some guidebooks are heavy on facts, symbols and stars but when you read them you’re left wondering what it’s actually like to stay there – but not this one. Tiny Campsites draws you a pen picture of the place, what it feels like to stay there and any interesting characters you might meet.

As Dixe writes freelance for the Guardian, my weekend paper of choice for inspirational travel writing, each of the descriptions had me wanting to pack my camping gear and set forth immediately. In my imagination I was already listening out for the tawny owls in the woods, watching the sun set behind the church tower and picking sun-warmed strawberries at the neighbouring fruit farm.

For those of you who like to get your facts straight, don’t worry that this is one of those coffee table books full of pretty pictures (although it has a few of those) and not much else of substance. The useful information’s not lacking as each tiny campsite in the guide has a page of contact details, where to stock up on provisions and how to get there by public transport if possible.

If you’re an itchy footed traveller like me, you may be thinking that this rural idyll is all very well but what are you going to do when you get there? The Tiny Campsites guide has that covered too, as Dixe has identified the best local pub for a cosy pint or an home cooked evening meal and a couple of local attractions that you might enjoy if you’re interested in more than just dozing in the shade of an old apple tree. And as Dixe is an avowed eco-traveller who avoids plane travel at all costs, you can be sure that it’s possible to get to all the campsites by bike or public transport, as that’s how Dixe arrived himself.

Balmeanach Campsite from Tiny Campsites

I could definitely see myself using this guide to go cycle-touring for a few days or perhaps hiking from campsite to campsite. Or you could just use it to locate charming little campsites away from the crowds to base yourself and see a bit of the surrounding countryside. As well as listing the campsites in sections and on a map by region, there are thoughtful lists of the sites that would be especially suitable in different categories, such as those for kids, near the sea or adults only.

To give you the flavour, I asked Dixe to hand-pick a few of his favourites for you and here they are. You can enjoy a bit of his delightful prose (that’s why he’s a professional travel writer and I’m a part-time blogger).

Great Tiny Campsite for Kids

Little Wenfork, Launceston, Cornwall – in an area of outstanding natural beauty, with views of the hills and Tamar valley, this campsite borders an allotment with ducks, chickens and some Gloucestershire Old Pigs who love having their head scratched.

Great Tiny Campsite by the coast

Porthllisky Farm, Pembrokeshire, Wales  (Tel 01437 720377) – Close to Britain’s smallest city of St Davids yet the only sound is the odd seagull and the sighing sea. The site’s a short walk from a small harbour with a summer cafe and is right on the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path for cliff top walks.

Tiny Campsite with Great views

Balmeanach Park, Isle of Mull, Scotland – Set in Fishnish forest, this is the place to spot eagles, otters and seals, enjoy the signposted forest walks and the shoreline of the Sound of Mull as well as a spot of drama at the theatre at Tobermory.

Great Tiny campsite for walkers

Foxhole Bottom Campsite from Tiny Campsites

Foxhole Bottom, Seaford, East Sussex – (no sniggering at the back) This site is set in a country park on the bumpy South Downs with a snaking river sliding off into the sea,  a shingle beach, a wetland reserve for birds and those national treasures, the Seven Sisters cliffs. There’s a camping barn too and a small discount if you arrive on foot or by bike.

Great tiny campsite for campfires

Park Farm, Whitby, Yorkshire – The campsite is a tiny soft-cheese-triangle of sloping grassland bordered on two sides by a low dry-stone wall, with a hawthorn hedge on the third. A few apple trees give additional shelter and the site is on a farm with interesting cattle breeds. Captain Cook as born in these parts an you can walk up to the Captain Cook monument on Easby Moor for the stunning views.

Since the Tiny Campsites guide arrived it’s barely been out of my husband’s grasp as he dreams of some corner of a farmer’s field that will be forever England. He used to be in the army you know and loves all that outdoorsy, boys-own stuff – gathering wood for the campfire and dabbling in the streams. Me, I’m a little more adverse to being rained on, but after reading this Tiny Campsites Guide even I’m ready to be converted to the joys of an uncrowded patch of meadow or woodland, fresh air and marshmallows roasted over the campfire.

Giveaway – Dixe was kind enough to send me a copy to give away to one of my readers, so if you too fancy being a grown up boy scout then please leave a comment and you’ll be entered in the draw for this giveaway.

Giveaway Update – The winner of this guide, chosen at random, is Michael who I will contact by e-mail. Many thanks to all those who commented for this giveaway.

If you’re already ready to get on your bike with your lightweight tent, you can buy Tiny Campsites from Punk Publishing at Tinycampsites.co.uk, order it at your local bookshop ISBM: 978-1-90688-906-7 or head over to Amazon.co.uk without even leaving the comfort of your laptop. Price is £10.95

If you get a copy, do see if you can spot the photo of the princesses on Page 13!

Photo Credits: All photos copyright Dixe Wills

More great Camping articles

Camping in sunshine and showers – on the Gower in Wales
A Fairy Tale of camping in mid-Wales
Camping at Cala Gonone – in Sardinia

Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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When you next go camping and examine the facilities of your chosen camp site, will a loo with a view be high on your wish list?

We recently took our teen princesses camping at Trericket Mill in Wales, where they run a Bed and Breakfast, Bunkhouse and small campsite in their orchards. Very nice it was too, but the pride of place was for their renovated outside lavvy which overlooked the river and bridge across to the orchards. You couldn’t wish for a more picturesque scene of rural life while doing your business, what with the chickens and ducks running around.

You’d have to be fairly brave to leave the door open to take advantage of the scenery, with the other guests coming and going.  There was a sign on the door proclaiming “Ty Bach Yn y Coedwig – Arachnaphobes may not enter”. But there was only a friendly toy spider hanging from the ceiling. If you’re a Welsh speaker do give me a full translation – my Google Translator made a scramble of it. Have you enjoyed any loos with a view on your travels?

This is part of Photo Friday, hosted over at Delicious Baby - Head over to see all the other Friday Photos

You may also enjoy
A Fairy Tale of camping in mid-Wales
Camping in Sunshine and showers in the Gower peninsula in Wales

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There was once a princess who lived in Bristol with her travelling mother and father and her stay-at-home brothers, who longed for adventure with her friends. Because she was dearly beloved (although she never kept her room tidy) her parents granted her heart’s desire to go camping with her fellow princesses, and waved a magic wand to make it so.

And so it was that the ten princesses set off in the palace mini-van, driven by the king (the chauffeur was on holiday) and arrived at their fairy dell in the kingdom of Welsh Wales. They found a friendly miller and his wife who had an old water mill with a bunk house and an orchard that was perfect for camping. Here it seemed the perfect place to experience the joys of Welsh camping (damp grass, fresh air and camp fires). They took with them provisions for the finest spaghetti bolognaise, tinned tomato soup and bacon and eggs (for everyone knows that you must have bacon and eggs for breakfast when camping).

The king and queen watched over them as they frollicked in the river and chatted around the campfire about things that interest princesses. Soon the next day dawned and the real adventures began. They found a leafy glade and tiptoed barefoot and bikini-clad through the ferns and the beech leaves that surrounded the mill. There in seclusion they bathed in the river, even jumping bravely into an icy plunge pool to prove their daring. No frog princes were seen, kissed, or even thought of, for these were independent minded young princesses.

Then shivering deliciously, they made their way back to warm up with cups of tomato soup and hot showers.

In the afternoon, when they’d had their fill of leafy glades, they visited the nearby town of Hay-on-Wye where people came from far and wide to buy and sell books. There was even a festival held there once a year, where bards and prophets, such as Bill Clinton and Desmond Tutu could be heard to utter wise words. They sought out yet another bathing spot nearby in the river where canoists drifted past and spent an afternoon relaxing and sunbathing. Naturally they kept their sunglasses on at all times, in order to remain incognito. During the evening they toasted marshmellows over the camp fire and sang songs of friendship.

All too soon the adventure was over and they returned to their kingdom of Bristol to resume their princessly duties, vowing that their little adventure was not one that would show up in any paparazzi book of fairy tales, although they might graciously give permission for it to appear on some obscure little blog.

If you would like to take your princesses (or princes) on a camping adventure in mid-Wales, we can highly recommend Trericket Mill, where Alistair and Nicky Legge will offer you a warm welcome for B & B, Bunkhouse or Camping Accomodation, and vegetarian home cooking.

Trericket Mill, Erwood, Builth Wells, Powys, Mid Wales, LD2 3TQ
Tel 01982 560312
Website http://www.trericket.co.uk/

You may also enjoy
An eco-chic birthday party at Fernhill Farm in Somerset
Camping in Sunshine and showers on the Gower in Wales

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If you’re travelling in Turkey and would like some recommendations from a local, then this post is for you.

Last week we were visited by Sedef and Valentin who contacted us through the travel networking site, Hospitality club - read about our Bollywood nights at the One Stop Thali cafe in Bristol. Among the conversation on places we’d travelled and enjoyed, I asked Sedef (whose name means Mother of Pearl) for some recommendations of places she’d recommend visiting in Turkey, and these were her suggestions.

Ölüdeniz
Sedef visited Ölüdeniz, which is 12km from Fethiye is in the South-west of Turkey , in 2005. Ölüdeniz (which means Dead sea) is a sheltered lagoon which is well known for the clarity and calmness of the water. The waters of the bay which are part of the national park, are very salty and as calm as a mirror. The bay is surrounded by high mountains, making it an ideal place for Paragliding and the annual Ölüdeniz air games are held every October. Take a look at this video about Paragliding at Ölüdeniz by Railabay.

Near the lagoon is the beach resort where you can find hotels, cafes and watersports like banana boats and scuba diving.  To get there you need to drive from Fethiye on a very windy road through the mountains, or come by boat. The nearest airport is Dalaman airport which is 45 min drive from Ölüdeniz. I gather that the resort that adjoins the lagoon has become very busy with many new hotels springing up, so if you want to get further away from the bustle try Sedef’s next recommendation;

Butterfly Valley
Butterfly valley (kelebekler vadisi) is a small beach and valley that can only be reached by boat from Oludeniz, or by a scramble down the mountain path that’s not for the fainthearted.  Boats run from Ölüdeniz three times a day so you can take a day trip or bring your tent and camp behind the beach by the small cafe. This is laid-back haven for the independent traveller or backpacker, where you can swim and relax. The narrow gorge stretches behind the beach with beautiful scenery for treking and you can walk to view a 350m high waterfall. The valley is named after the many different varieties of butterflies that appear between June and September.

Sadef’s final recommendation is a little off the normal tourist trail in Eastern Turkey that she is hoping to visit when she next goes home for a holiday.

Mardin
Mardin is an old fortified city in Eastern Turkey, close to the borders with Syria and Iraq. It’s crowned by the citidel and the flat-roofed sandstone houses are closely built down the hill overlooking the plains of Mesopotamia. The ancient city is known for it’s honey coloured stone carved houses, mosques and monasteries and the narrow alley ways and bazaars. Sedef also told me that the kebab originated from here. The best way to get to this part of Turkey is to take an internal flight from Istanbul to Mardin or use the Turkish bus system.

Have you been to any of these places? If so, do tell me what you thought and add your own recommendations.

Related Posts
Bollywood Nights at the one-stop Thali cafe in Bristol

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Thanks to babeltravel,  the aga,  Mete Donmez for their photos on Flickr

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As I’m extending my writing to a few other places around the blogsphere, I thought I’d give you a quick round up of some other articles I wrote in November. I’ve been doing a weekly post every week on a Thursday over at Europe a la Carte, so here are the highlights.

If you’ve seen the James Bond Film Quantum of Solace or dream of visiting some of the fabulous locations that 007 finds himself in, then check out on location in Europe with 007. You can soak up the excitement of the annual Palio horse race in Siena or attend the open air opera festival in Bregenz in Austria, both locations featured in the latest Bond movie.

My parents recently visited Turkey and the highlight of the whole trip was hot air ballooning in Cappadocia . Read about how you can drift over this alien landscape of rocky volcanic pillars, known as fairy chimneys, guided by the wind and air currents.

During my visit to the World Travel Market in London, I asked myself why go to Albania? On visiting the trade stand and finding out more, it turned out there are plenty of good reasons to visit, from the unspoiled beaches to the archaeological sites to the stunning mountain scenery.

With the cheap airlines opening for summer bookings, my thoughts turned to cheap accomodation on European campsites. Find out how you can keep your family holiday budget under control by booking wooden chalets or apartments on some of the top European campsites with access to beaches, pools and sightseeing to keep everyone happy.

The start of December signals advent and the run up to Christmas and if you’re visiting the capital this festive season, you can find all my tips on free and nearly free Christmas activities in London. I found some great ideas for music lovers, foodies and families to enjoy at minimal cost.

Look out for more of my posts every Thurday over at Europe a la Carte

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First let me explain how I came to choose Camping Cala Gonone as the place to base our family holiday in Sardinia.

We had hoped to go to Ethiopia but when the plans fell through I needed to quickly find an alternative destination. As I didn’t want to splash out on a long haul destination at such short notice, I headed for the Easyjet website, looking for cheap flights within Europe. We settled on Sardinia as it had been recommended by my sister and as we would be flying into Olbia, I started looking for a suitable resort within an hour or two’s drive of the airport.

Town beach in Cala Gonone,Sardinia

Heading north would take us onto the picturesque Costa Esmarelda, the St Tropez of Sardinia where supermodels and Russian millionaires hang out on their sleek yachts. I feared that this would not be the place for a budget holiday in August, when prices are generally are sky high. So we looked south to Cala Gonone, an old fishing village which has now grown into a small resort, the sort where Italians and Sardinians come on holiday for a month with their extended families.

In these seaside holiday locations, I generally look for a campsite which lets out cabins within the site, as I couldn’t face taking a tent and all the baggage that goes with it. This is a cheaper option than staying in an appartment and you get all the facilities that the family enjoy such as a swimming pool, sports facilities and often other English children to make friends with.

Entrance to Camping Cala Gonone,Sardinia

I must admit that even staying in a small 4-person cabin, the prices were pretty high – it’s one of the penalties of going on holiday in August. We paid €130 per night for our cabin although the prices drop to €75 a night in low season. I reckon that it was a lot cheaper than a hotel although we probably could have found a small appartment for the same money but without the pool and other facilities. Even if we’d camped, it would have cost us around €90 a night for a family of 5, so nothing was going to be that cheap.

Camping Cala Gonone, Sardinia

I did try mailing a few other campsites in the area, but I’ve found that these smaller locally run campsites are quite slow in replying to enquiries. If you mail them in English you’re unlikely to get a reply, so I always use an internet translator to write my e-mails. Also if they’re full they probably won’t bother replying to your e-mail. You can just imagine them giving an Italian shrug of the shoulders.

However, Camping Cala Gonone was pretty efficient in that respect and when we got there we found it to be a well-run family business. I must admit that my heart sank when we saw our cabin and realised how little space we were getting for our money. It was really just an overgrown garden shed with a tiny shower room and one bedroom with just enough room for a double bed and bunk beds. The kitchen and dining area was on the veranda in front which wasn’t a problem as it was baking hot every day.

Pool at Camping Cala Gonone,Sardinia

The big bonus of the campsite was that it has a very nice swimming pool – even some of the larger campsites I looked at didn’t have a pool although they were right on the beach. The pool was policed by a gorgeous lifeguard who was deeply tanned and sported a different bikini every day, although it shut after lunch when everyone went to have their afternoon siesta. Right by the pool is a basketball and tennis court but it felt too hot to have a serious game. There is also a cafe, restaurant and small shop on site and the pizzas were freshly made in the pizza oven to eat in or take away. The site is shaded by many pine trees which was a big bonus in the summer heat.

Spiaggia Cartoe near Cala Gonone, Sardinia

The campsite is on the edge of the resort, with just a short walk down the hill into town, where you can find plenty of cafes, restaurants, gelaterias and souvenir shops. Beside the port where you can take boat trips, there is a small beach and further down the road is another larger beach. All the beaches were packed from morning to night and I was pleased that we could go for a short swim and then easily walk back to the campsite.

Harbour at Camping Cala Gonone, Sardinia

Most of the activities here are around swimming, diving and snorkling. There are wrecks you can dive on and many boat trips from the port to the sea caves and smaller beaches. Although there are other activities such as mountainbiking, climbing and canyoning, we realised that these were best done in the spring or autumn as it was way too hot in the height of the summer. On other parts of the coast, you can find sailing, windsurfing and surfing, but it was too sheltered for this at Cala Gonone.

I’d recommend Cala Gonone as a pleasant place to stay for a few days, especially for the boat trips in the Gulf of Orosei and as a base to venture inland. But I’d probably avoid it in the high season where both the prices and the temperatures are sky high and everywhere is packed out.

You can see all my Sardinia photos on Flickr here.

More Sardinia articles to enjoy

Medieval Frescos at Orosei
Sea Caves and a boat trip
A prehistoric village with a sea view

Read all my Sardinia posts

Other useful links
Camping Cala Gonone website

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Sardinia – Camping Cala Gonone photoset

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For the last two nights of our holiday in Sardinia this August, we decided to move inland to enjoy some of the mountain scenery that Sardinia has to offer. You only have to drive half an hour away from the coast to be in the mountains in Sardinia and in less than an hour we were at Oliena, close to the town of Nuoro.

Entrance to the hotel at Monte Maccione, Sardinia

We followed the signs through the village, up a steep and winding track to arrive at the hotel of Coop Enis at Monte Maccione, which overlooks the valley below. This is the perfect place for treking and mountain walking especially if you are interested in the natural habitat of the National Park that surrounds the hotel. As it was so hot, and my teenagers are allergic to walking, we used it as a base for visiting the town of Nuoro and the murals at Orgosolo nearby.

Terrace of the hotel at Monte Maccione, Sardinia

The best thing about the hotel, which started as a co-operative venture, but is very professionally run, were the astounding views from all the bedrooms and terraces. The air was cooler and more refreshing here in the mountains than at the coast which was a welcome break from the August heat.

Bedroom at Monte Maccione, Sardinia

Terrace cafe at Monte Maccione, Sardinia

The rooms are all clean and simply furnished with wooden furniture and there are lots of little bars, sitting rooms and terraces where you can relax. The large restaurant is very popular, especially at the weekend when large family groups come up the mountain for a leisurely lunch and drinks on the terrace stretching well into the afternoon.

In general the food concentrates on Sardinian specialities and pizzas from the pizza oven at the restaurant entrance. We ate there one evening and some things were good, others not so exciting.

Ravioli at Monte Maccione, Sardinia

Restaurant at Monte Maccione, Sardinia

The breakfast of bread, jam and yoghurt was a little disappointing as we have been to other hotels of this standard which are able to lay on a fantastic breakfast buffet. The service in the restaurant was sleepy slow, which we found to be the case wherever we ate in Sardinia. I guess the pace of life is just slower here.

They also have a small camping area in the woodland at the back of the hotel. I’d certainly recommend this as a place to stay to enjoy the mountain scenery of Sardinia and see some of the interesting things nearby, especially if you like walking and being close to nature.

View from the hotel at Monte Maccione, Co-op Enis

Read more about Co-op Enis at Monte Maccione on their website here. You can see all my photos on Flickr from Oliena here.

More Sardinia articles to enjoy

Sea caves and a boat trip in Sardinia
Swimming in rock pools near Gola di Gorrupa in Sardinia
A prehistoric village with a sea view in Sardinia

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Sardinia – Oliena photoset

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After the wet weekend camping in Cornwall last August, when our tent practically blew away and we had to decamp to a friend’s holiday cottage, I’d vowed my camping days were over. Nevertheless, when my sister in law suggested a camping weekend together in South Wales, on the beautiful Gower peninsula, I took the optimistic view. In my imagination I was already basking in the sunshine with a view across the fields to the sea, nibbling on strawberries with a bottle of white wine chilling in the cool box.

The realist in me remembered to pack the cosiest sleeping bags, fleeces, wellies and waterproofs although my husband managed to leave my down pillow behind. We set off from Bristol in sunshine but by the time we passed Swansea 2 hrs later the rain was pitter pattering on the car windscreen and on arrival at the campsite we had to rush to put the tent up before the rain really set in.

The Saturday dawned a little brighter and after the morning ritual of shower, mug of tea and bacon and egg rolls with lashings of ketchup, I set off across the fields with by husband to search out the nearest beach. We followed the footpath signs, climbed several stiles, said good morning to a herd of grey and white cows and scrambled down to a rocky cove, which had once been an area for stone quarrying. I pictured smugglers landing here in secret but it was not really suitable for the sunbathing and surfing we had in mind.

Instead we drove 5 minutes up the road to Rhossili, owned by the National Trust, with a wide sweep of sand stretching into the distance in one direction and the rocky peninsula of Worm’s head in the other. After a steep climb down the path, laden with all our beach gear, we settled ourselves down for a few hours of relaxation, playing rounders and body boarding for those with wetsuits. Luckily the sun shone but the wind was deceptively cooling and later I discovered a few red patches of sunburn. The beach was so big that it never felt crowded and we found out later that many people are put off by the long walk down to the beach – all the more room for us, I thought.

By early afternoon we were feeling a little hungry so we settled ourselves on the terrace of The Bay cafe, with a great view over the beach, and ordered some big bowls of chips, baked potatoes and paninis. It was all very pleasant, so we returned for dinner there the next evening – unlike Cornwall there didn’t seem to be so many stylish places around to eat, but this was a cut above the rest. Otherwise we relied on the portable gas barbie to cook up bacon for breakfast and steaks and sausages for supper – all typical camping food.

The next day we decided to give Port Eynon beach a try, 10 minutes in the other direction, as I was keen to check out the Youth Hostel there in an old lifeboat station, thinking of possible alternatives to camping for a weekend break. The village was surrounded by several caravan parks and the beach had many rock pools which were exposed at low tide. The concensus was that it was not as nice as Rhossili, but we spent a couple of hours there sheltered in front of the sand dunes. I followed to path up on to the cliffs, through the yellow gorse to take in the stunning views over to the next bay.

On the way back, we decided to check out another nearby beach at Mewslade which had been recommended. When we parked in the nearby field it didn’t seem very promising, but we walked down a small valley with a nature reserve, scrambled over the rocks and arrived at a fabulous beach with wide sandy stretches at low tide, rockpools and steep cliffs around. This could have been a happy place to spend an afternoon, but already the rain was setting in, so we decided to return to the campsite.

Although we were due to return to Bristol the next morning, we decided that we’d pack up before dark and drive back to Bristol that evening, drawn on by the promise of a warm house and our own comfortable beds, rather than a lilo and sleeping bag. Camping in Wales and Cornwall is popular for families on a budget, but you have to be prepared for the changeable English summer and pray that you’ll enjoy some sunshine in between the showers.

If you fancy a camping break yourself, we stayed at Pitton Cross Campsite near Rhossili. The other recommended campsite which was sadly full when we tried to book is the one at Three Cliffs Bay, regularly picked as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

You can also read more about what’s going on on the Gower peninsula on the blog at Welcome to Gower.

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My New Year’s resolution is to pack in as many holidays into the next year as possible, so my thoughts turned to a family break for the Easter holidays.

My eye was caught by a magazine article in on family camping near Paris, taking in both Disneyland Paris and the sites of the French capital. It sounded like a promising blend of fun and culture so I decided to investigate the possibilities and what they might cost.

We have stayed many times in the larger European campsites of France and Spain and found them ideal for families, with swimming and entertainments on site and a feeling of freedom for the children. However, following a stormy camping weekend in Cornwall last year, I had vowed my camping days were over. I could still remember the holiday near Barcelona when a cyclone in August forced nearby campers to shelter in our wooden cabin. No – it would have to be a mobile home or gite for me.

I checked out the campsite mentioned in the article – La Croix du Vieux Pont situated to the north-east of Paris by the River Aisne. With a quick scan of the website the campsite looked ideal for an Easter visit. It was described as a “sumptuous 4 star resort set in 84 acres of landscaped gardens and local architecture” although sumptuous is a relative term when applied to campsites. There was a covered pool, two outdoor ones, numerous sporting activities and even a beauty centre for a bit of personal pampering. A gite for up to 6 people at Easter would set us back £380.

For my chosen week in April I checked out the equivalent prices for Keycamp and Canvas Holidays who use this campsite. Keycamp was offering a 4 night break in a mobile home including ferry crossing for under £200 for 4 night stay. Canvas Holidays had 7 night mobile home breaks from £390.

Next I looked at ways to get there. Flying from Bristol to Paris (Easyjet or Air France) and then hiring a car would be most convenient. Flights were around £110 per person plus £145 for 4 days car hire. This option would mean we could set off from Bristol in the early morning and be munching our baguettes at the campsite by lunchtime.

Alternatively, we could take the Eurostar which would mean a good day’s travelling from Bristol but be much cheaper at around £300. The total bill for our family of five for transport and accomodation would be around £900 for the fly/drive option or £500 via Eurostar. I used the via Michelin website to work out driving times and it even gave me the the cost of fuel and tolls for each route.

I envisaged a 4 night break with 3 full days in France, which would include day trips to Disneyland Paris and sightseeing in Paris, with a day in between for relaxing at the campsite to avoid teenage rebellion.

Our visit to Paris might include a trip up the Eiffel Tower, a sightseeing boat trip on the Seine, taking lunch in the Tuileries garden by the Louvre glass pyramid (a forray in to see the Mona Lisa perhaps) and then up the funicular in Montmartre for a view of the city as night fell. I reckoned that might give even the most culture-shy teenager something to brag to their friends about.

If it sounds tempting then check out these Sunday Times articles for some more Paris inspiration. The ones I’ve listed below are most relevant to value-seekers with picky children like me;

Paris: Five classic weekends
Disneyland Paris celebrates its birthday
Stylish stays in the heart of Paris for £70
Frighteningly good trip to Disneyland Paris
Is Disneyland for Girls?

And from the Telegraph;
Travel Guide to Paris
Eurostar: One day in Paris
Dream Cities: Paris

Thanks to skasuga, Amen-Ra, Grufnik on Flickr.com for the use of their photos.

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