“Little Dragon”, our home-away-from-home on our Welsh glamping adventure
Try glamping with one of Dragon in Your Pocket’s small group adventure tours of Wales in 2018!
My summer intern and I were intrigued by the prospect of “Glamping” on the beautiful Llŷn Peninsula of Wales
So we set out to try Epic Retreats Boutique Glamping in Wales. Best of Wales Holiday Lets, Cambria Tours, and George + Tomos Architects came together to create, place, and promote these 8 individually designed (with a nod to Welsh history) glamping units – called Dragon’s Eye, Little Dragon, Welsh Hat, Miner’s Cabin, Arthur’s Cave, and Animated Forest. The process of building the retreat was featured on the BBC4 series “Cabin Fever” this past spring. Each en-suite (private toilet, shower, and sink) unit provides accommodation for 2 people.
The food was fantastic – our breakfast: a “Welsh” omelette with leeks and bacon.
We found the 8 units in a field overlooking the beach between Pwllheli and Llanbedrog on the Llŷn Peninsula in early July. We booked a 3-night weekend in Little Dragon, a cylindrically-shaped, 2-story unit, to give it a try, walk some of the Wales Coastal Path, and explore the peninsula. A week or so before our booked dates, we received an email with details which told us to expect a compost toilet and hot water on demand when we arrived, and somewhat limited storage space for clothes, which we’d expected.
A warm welcome to Little Dragon
Walking the Wales Coastal Path with the mountains of Snowdonia in the background.
We arrived to a rainy, windy meadow (this is Wales, afterall) mid afternoon, and were warmly welcomed and shown Little Dragon, as well as the meal tent (the 3-night experience includes a welcome dinner and experience the first night, as well as all breakfasts). A few engineering issues were apparent, as the company is still in its infancy, but in the main, Little Dragon was charming, with an extra dose of adventure——an extendable ladder to get to the bed on the top floor (and a pulley to facilitate getting items up to the sleeping level as well)! The architect had clearly maximised use of every square inch.
A brief detour to the local urgent care didn’t dampen our enthusiasm for the fabulous first night dinner
The peaceful setting for Epic Retreats glamping resort.
We had a brief adventure at the local urgent care/late hours surgery right before the welcome dinner, but hospitably, our hosts just extended the pre-prandial cocktail hour until we returned. The caterers, Arlwyo Hafan Catering, did a bang up job of a lamb roast, as well as had lovely salads and vegetarian options, plus cheese and pudding for dessert. We befriended the other guests during dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed listening to one of the guests entertain us with stories, music, and Welsh poetry by a lovely campfire, before sleeping.
The next day we slept in, and then after a delightful breakfast at the meal tent, went for walks throughout the day. Our first walk was down the coastal path to Llanbedrog, the beach, and ice cream and the annual St. Padrog fundraiser. Later in the day, we walked to Pwllheli along the path, making friends with many of the neighbors. That evening, we drove to Pwllheli for dinner at Pen Cob. The next morning, we checked out of Little Dragon and drove up to the gorgeous seaside manor house at Plas Yn Rhiw.
Overall, a wonderful and hospitable glamping experience!
Inside “Little Dragon”, one of the 8 units available at Epic Retreats glamping resort.
The folks at Epic Retreats did a wonderful job hosting us – we slept well and we felt like we were on safari when we ate in the dining tent – and the meals they served were delicious. The staff was kind and accommodating. It was also great to meet fellow adventurers and hear about their travels. Finally, the views are gorgeous and this location right on the Wales Coastal path is outstanding!
As this is the first summer they are up and running, this location is temporary. Epic Retreats will be moving the 8 glamping units to an equally gorgeous permanent location in Wales soon.
If you want a little more adventure than a hotel or bed and breakfast, this glamping adventure definitely worth it! Book your adventure with DIYP today – as always you can choose your level of “adventurousness”!
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