Family Camping in Summer
Camping had always held a special place in our hearts, and this time, we set out for that unforgettable experience. This journey made an amazing memory in our hearts. Therefore we thought to share our enriching summer family camping experience with you.
This is our family’s first camping trip, and we’re extremely excited!
Preparing for the Family Camping
When planning a camping trip with children, there are several things to consider to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone. Since we had no prior experience with family camping, we researched a lot to create a successful camping trip with kids.
To get more details about camping tips and tricks read out our Family Camping Tips article that could help make an unforgettable camping trip.
So, we were in a bit of a pickle trying to decide on a place to chill and get away from the hustle and bustle of life. Same on these days one of Lasith’s mates in Cardiff suggested we plan a trip together. After giving it some thought, we figured South Wales would be the perfect spot to unwind and relax. So we planned to go to South Wales during Yuwin’s summer break.
Lasith took two days leave from his work and this is how we planned our first family camping journey.
So, we had planned our first day in Cardiff to check out the area and then we had booked a camping spot in Brecon Beacon for the next two days. We were set to leave on Thursday and on Wednesday I made some Sri Lankan-style preserved food to bring with us for the camping trip. We got everything ready the night before and planned to hit the road after grabbing breakfast.
London to South Wales
In the morning we had breakfast and then packed up our stuff in the car, making sure we had everything before we hit the road. Since the trip was gonna be about 3 hours long, I grabbed some snacks to munch on during the drive. We followed the map and it told us to take the M4. Once we got out of London, the road was surrounded by beautiful, green fields on both sides of the road. It was really nice seeing all the farmland.
We took a break, grabbed some coffee and snacks at a service area, and then hit the road again. We reached Cardiff around 2.00 pm. Awesome! We added another country to our visited list and it feels great. Wales is a separate country and their language is Welsh.
Since we had time decided to visit one of the beautiful castles near Cardiff, Castell Coch.
Castell Coch
Castell Coch, also known as the “Red Castle,” is a magnificent castle that is situated in the ancient beech woods of Fforest Fawr. The castle has magical towering structures and conical roofs that give it a fairytale-like appearance.
While exploring the castle, be sure to take in the remarkable architecture and design.
Castell Coch is a 19th-century castle and the first castle on the site was built by Normans after 1081.
Is it free to enter?
No, it’s not free. You have to take a ticket to enter the castle.
To check the updated prices visit Castell Coch.
Is there free parking?
Castell Coch offers free parking for visitors.
Can you walk around the castle?
Yes, you can walk around the castle and ancient beech wood forest free of charge.
Are dogs allowed in the castle?
Only assistant dogs are allowed in the Castell Coch.
We went to Castell Coch and then back to our friend’s place where we had a good time. The next day, we had breakfast and took a walk around Pontypridd. After that, we got ready to go to our campsite in Brecon Beacons, which was about an hour and a half away. The drive was amazing with beautiful scenery on both sides of the road. We were so excited to experience camping.
So, we got to the site at around 2:30 and saw a couple of camps already set up. The place was pretty amazing with stunning views of the mountains all around. We found a better spot to set up our tent but it took us a while since it was our first time. Finally, we made it. Then we freshened up and made some noodles for dinner. After having dinner we had a relaxing time and played some board games before sleep.
We woke up the next morning and were blown away by the stunning view of misty mountains. It was absolutely breathtaking! After spending some time with those beautiful scenes we have some sandwiches for breakfast, and then head out to explore four incredible waterfalls in Brecon Beacons. We thought it would be best to take the car since it’s a bit of a distance from our camping site.
Four Waterfalls Walk
The Four Waterfalls Walk is a circular trail in the Brecon Beacons National Park. On the day of our visit, it started raining as we arrived. But we decided to give it a try anyway. The trail was super cool – it took us through a peaceful forest with four stunning waterfalls to explore: Sgwd Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn, Sgwd y Pannwr, and Sgwd yr Eira. The only problem was, with the rain, the trail was really slippery and muddy. It definitely made it harder to hike the hilly and steep path. We weren’t even sure we’d make it to all four waterfalls.
With that situation, we thought to visit first the Sgwd yr Eira waterfall. It is the largest waterfall on the 4 falls trail. For an even more unique experience, you can walk behind the curtain of cascading water.
It is an amazing waterfall and some people were swimming there, even though the water was freezing. We hung out for a while but had to go back to our campsite since we were all soaked. On the way, we grabbed some fish and chips, the portion was huge and it covered both lunch and dinner!
We had a hard time doing our work when we arrived at the campsite because it was still raining. Unfortunately, it rained heavily during our last night camping too.
So, the next day it finally stopped raining. But it was also the day we had to head back home. We cooked up some noodles and sandwiches for breakfast and then got to packing up our camping gear. We hit the road around 10 AM and started our long journey back home. That trip was an unforgettable experience, and we learned from our mistakes so we could be better prepared for the next adventure.