It’s Summer and my husband has some time off. For our kids this is a rare chance to spend some time with daddy. Without being too corporate about it our eldest has white boarded her wish list of great stuff to do.
We have a white board and a pin board in the utility room at home where we try to organise our chaos. Letting her loose on it is a chance for us to demonstrate that we are listening to her in our crazy busy house and to teach her a bit of planning and patience. Some of the stuff on it is really easy and cute. She wants to go for a swim at the local pool in town and go to the cinema.
One of the items on the list was a sleepover. We have a four year age gap between our two and with our daughter being the eldest she was keenly aware of being usurped when her baby brother arrived. This is despite our best efforts to balance our time between our then pre-schooler and a new born baby. That being said she was very good about it, always helpful and never complained. However, i’m sure there were times when she saw me asleep with her brother (on one of those near sleepless nights you have as mother and baby) and felt a pang of frustration and jealousy. She is a consummate negotiator though and on her wish list for the Summer she requested a sleepover with either mummy or daddy.
My husband doesn’t do things by halves. He went on to Airbnb and went looking for the ultimate location for a sleepover. Happily he stumbled upon Moat Island Glamping in Haveringland Norfolk, which had only been open for a few weeks. What a gem this place is. If we had to conjur up the perfect campsite I think this is what we would have imagined. I stayed home with our son who is still a little too young for this kind of adventure, but I am already planning on when I can book all of us in!
The site comprises gorgeous 6m luxury belle tents with a natural swimming pool. There are top notch shower and bathroom facilities and a lovely kitchen. As camping goes it is definitely cheating but for glamping, it is perfectly formed.
This was not camping as I remember it! The tents come fully stocked. The one my husband rented had a log burner for chillier nights.
The natural swimming pool has a shallow area all around with a rope and buoys indicating where the deeper section starts. This was great for our daughter who can only just swim.
The site is really atmospheric with fairy lights along the paths. The sunset was beautiful.
I asked my husband for a quick run down of the best bits of the site. His list was:
- The tent was very comfortable and beautifully put together
- Lovely comfortable bedlinen
- They had thought of everything you might need
- Cooking equipment was well stocked with a smart fridge
- Fire pits and seating outside each tent. You can hire BBQ tripods as well.
- The natural swimming pool was so well marked where the deep water started
I asked my daughter the same question and here was her list:
- She saw an owl… (possibly)
- She stayed up reeeeeeee-ally late
- Having breakfast outside on a lovely little table
- The inside of the tent was like a princess den
It was a great trip and I’m sure we will be going again, but this time all of us. Maybe even a gang!
Wellies by the Door 