Camping in the Brecon Beacons National Park is all about the great outdoors – but that doesn’t mean you have to rough it. While mountain bothies and barn bunkhouses offer beds for climbers and walkers on a shoestring, there are now plenty of options for the more glamorous camper too. Take, for example, the three safari tents at Gilestone Farm which stretch the definition of camping to its most luxurious limits – hot tubs and all.
The location, a few minutes’ stroll from the hiking and biking hub of Talybont, means getting out to explore is easy. And, when the sun sinks behind the peaks of the Beacons, you can settle down in tented luxury here. The beds in separated canvas bedrooms are made up for you, the sitting room has proper sofas and a wood-burning stove. A reviving cup of tea is just the flick of a switch away with kitchen essentials, kettle and electricity supply all included and, if you don’t fancy cooking, you don’t have to: You can pre-order a homemade casserole to warm on the fire while you relax in the hot tub or enjoy a hot shower in your own private bathroom.
But, like we said, the Brecon Beacons are all about the great outdoors and you don’t have to stray far from your tent to make the most of it. A river forms one of Gilestone Farm’s boundaries, the Mon and Brec Canal another. Within them there’s a woodland with trails you’re encouraged to explore, a community orchard with pears for the taking and a little lake where wild swimming and boating are allowed. The acre-and-a-half glamping meadow is very much part of a working farm and Charles, your host and the farm’s owner, offers guided tours to meet its cows and sheep.
If you should stumble beyond the farm’s fences, it won’t be long before you find three decent pubs, a delightful canalside café and a place to hire bikes. There’s plenty of walking, cycling, canoeing and climbing in the surrounding area. But the location, midway between Brecon and Crickhowell, also means Beacons’ market towns and visitor attractions are within reach. A scenic 40-minute drive west takes you to a Red Kite Feeding Centre or the National Showcaves at Dan yr Ogof. A similar distance south gets you to the Brecon Mountain Railway and, if you head north-east, to the charming book town of Hay-on-Wye. Alternatively, of course, you could just stay on site and play a board game, read a book and watch the wildlife – or allow yourself another half hour in that hot tub.