Unpredictable wildlife, humid rainforests and glam safari tents... Could this really be a family holiday in Cornwall, asks Warren Chrismas?

 

It’s 8.25am on Monday. I’m sitting at a wooden table outside a tent, enjoying tea and toast with the warmth of the early morning sun on my face.

The only noise is from seagulls some way off in the distance, and the occasional sound of a zip being pulled, as relatively late-rising campers stumble from their tents and into a new day.

Sitting, utterly relaxed in a field of tranquillity, it occurs to me that looking across lush Cornish countryside is a significantly more pleasant way to start the week than facing commuters squeezed on a rush-hour train crawling into London.

Still, you can’t expect to take a young family away on holiday and sit around relaxing all day, can you?

The last safari tent I stayed in was with my then new wife in the Maasai Mara, Kenya. Seven years – and three children later – we’re in Trevella Park, a picturesque campsite in Crantock, near Newquay.

Instead of hunting ‘big game’, we’re looking for a week of fun and games with the kids – Oscar, aged five, two-year-old Dylan and baby Alex, who’s barely eight months old.

The safari tents here are split into separate living and sleeping areas, accommodating all five of us. Pleasingly, they have wooden floors, proper beds, a futon, a microwave, a toaster, a fridge and even a TV.

There’s no running water though, so we have to make frequent trips to the (thankfully clean and well-maintained) communal blocks, where I notice some ‘proper’ campers have set up their own sophisticated drying racks.

My vision of campsites requiring Bear Grylls-style survival skills is quickly shattered.

In fact, I even spy one tent with a satellite TV dish and another with a full desktop computer on a makeshift desk. Clearly glamping is all about being close to your creature comforts. At Trevella, it’s also about being close to some of Cornwall’s top family attractions. Of course, there’s a beach just a few minutes’ drive away.

Crantock is a beautiful bay with a huge expanse of sand and a river that's great for paddling. Annoyingly, the only access from the car parks to the beach is over or around a huge sand dune, which is quite inconvenient when you have three kids, a double buggy and a host of beach and baby paraphernalia to transport.

Our first proper excursion is to Dairyland Farm World, a working farm with various attractions predominately aimed at young kids. Despite its Disney-esque name, it isn’t too commercialised. We arrive just in time for a ‘Pat-a-pet’ session with a rabbit, but throughout the day, young visitors are also able to try milking and bottle-feeding cows.

The following day, we head to Cornwall’s Crealy Great Adventure Park, where lots of activities (most of which are included in the admission price) are suitable for young children. We spend nearly two hours in Swampy and Dina Land, where Oscar loves the collection of mini fair rides – especially spinning teacups.

Being so unusual, we feel the Eden Project is a must-visit while in Cornwall, even if our kids are too young to appreciate the biological aspects of the biomes.

Predictably, our youngest two boys fall asleep as we tour the humid Rainforest biome.

Nevertheless, there’s still fun to be had here for youngsters, with natural play areas scattered around the grounds, an education centre and extra attractions during summer holidays. Oscar loves the rampaging Tyrannosaurs Rex (now set to be a regular summer visitor). And at the explorer’s camp during the evening, we all sit around a fire, eating freshly-cooked popcorn.

We had an early morning start the next day, for the Crantock Bay Surf School. I did manage to stand on the board for a split second – just enough, I think, to legitimately say, “I've been surfing in Cornwall”.

The Facts

  • Warren Chrismas was a guest of Trevella Park. A seven-night glamping holiday from July 31 starts from £692, for family of up to six staying in a safari tent. Visit trevella.co.uk or call 01637 830 308.
  • At Crantock Bay Surf School, a 2.5 hour lesson cost £30 (crantockbaysurfschool.com).
  • Family of four ticket at Cornwall’s Crealy Great Adventure Park costs £57.44 online and in advance (crealy.co.uk /Cornwall). A family ticket to Eden Project is £58 online from  edenproject.com and Dairyland Farmworld costs £10.50 per adult and £8 per child dairylandfarmworld.com