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Surf Snowdonia pods: glamping in North Wales

Blog· Glamping

27 Sep

It was still warm, the evening was drawing in, and I could still hear the sound of the waves. I sat on the picnic bench just outside the Surf Snowdonia pods and watched on at the last of the surfers chasing the waves. We love our weekends glamping with kids in the UK, here is how we got on a Surf Snowdonia (Adventure Parc Snowdonia).

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Glamping at Surf Snowdonia

We were glamping in Snowdonia at Surf Snowdonia, which are camping pods in North Wales. The kids were running around and scooting along the path outside the glamping lodges, and we were looking forward to the surf lessons planned for the following day. I love family glamping, and there is nothing better than quality time together as a family away from the screens, and enjoying the great outdoors  – it is good for the soul, and it definitely makes my soul smile.

Glamping at Surf Snowdonia

*AD review stay/press trip

Where is Surf Snowdonia?

  • Where is Surf Snowdonia?
  • The Glamping Pods Surf Snowdonia
  • Surf Snowdonia Facilities
  • Surf Side Cafe
  • Surf Lessons
  • Family Friendly: Surf Snowdonia North Wales
  • Out and About- things to do in Snowdonia with kids
  • glamping at Surf Snowdonia: Review

Surf Snowdonia is in Conwy, in the heart of North Wales. It is a short drive from the A55.  Surf Snowdonia Adventure Parc is a world-first inland surf lagoon. It sits just a few metres away from the banks of the River Conwy and the lagoon was built on a derelict industrial site that was once home to an aluminium factory.

Surf Snowdonia is easy to find and the Sat Nav took us direct to the area. On arrival we headed to the ultra modern main reception, where we were given wristbands and directed to the glamping pods. The wrist bands are used to gain access to the security gates to the glamping accommodation, and also to gain access to your glamping pod.

The Glamping Pods Surf Snowdonia

Our glamping pod was on the front row, overlooking the lagoon. It had two single beds and a partitioned double bed at the back. There was ample space in between the single beds where we were amazed that we were able to put up a standard size travel cot. There is a blackout blind fitted to the window of the door and a small window at the back of the lodge above the double bed (This didn’t have a blind, but it’s small and easy to cover if it bothers you). The lodge has lighting and electricity which is a bonus as we have stayed in many pods without this, and outside the pod there is a picnic bench and seating area.

I was surprised how much space the pod had inside, and I am pleased to say that all five of us easily fitted in. The mattress is supplied, and there is a small area for storage and bags at the end of the double bed. Remember to take your own bedding as bedding is not supplied – we packed sleeping bags and sheets and pillows, and the travel cot for our youngest member of the family. The pod was clean, cosy and warm, and the kids absolutely L O V E D it.

Surf Snowdonia Facilities

The washroom facilities are located close to the glamping pods in an amenities block and they are extremely clean.

All of the glamping pods have access to the lagoon side hot tubs and sauna, and although we didn’t access these facilities during our stay as we arrived quite late in the evening and food was the priority…. I think it would be a fab way to end a day out on the waves.

As I mentioned before, we arrived quite late in the evening and the little ones were pretty hungry. So we headed off to explore the Surf Snowdonia facilities and the Surf Side Bar. We had booked a table beforehand as this is advised. Food is served from 5 pm, and there is a choice of hot and cold options. There was a menu for the children and the kids thoroughly enjoyed the pizzas.

Surf Side Cafe

There is also a Surf Side Café offering a selection of sandwiches, salads, soups, panini and cakes, as well as hot and cold drinks and ice creams. Here you will find a lovely clean and stylish seating area inside, and plenty of seating outside offering great views over the lagoon. It’s a great space to sit in the sunshine, pass an hour and watch the surfers out on the lagoon.

Surf Lessons

So the surf lessons were the part that my eldest and Mr Otis and Us were most looking forward to. There are plenty of options for the surf lessons, from beginner to intermediate to advanced. We were up bright and early on the Saturday and headed over to the the main reception where all of the surfers were given their wetsuits and allocated a Surf Snowdonia coloured rash vest – this made each group of surfers clearly visible and identifiable. Children aged 5-7 must have a non-surfing adult in the water with them, so Mr Otis and Us hit the water whilst I sat in the sunshine with our two younger children…and took many an action shot. We booked on to the early morning surf lesson for our seven year old and it was a lovely time, the park was not busy and the group size small. The instructor was calm, patient, friendly and knowledgeable…and our eldest member of our tribe absolutely LOVED the surfing. The surf lesson lasted 90 minutes with an hour in the water and I think that was just perfect, just long enough to keep the little ones’ attention and not too long that they lost concentration, became tired or cold. The Surf Snowdonia team teach the children in appropriate age groups – Little Rippers (age 5-7) and Groms (age 8-13).

As for Mr Otis and Us…. well he equally loved the surfing, so much so he is already talking about returning, I think he thinks he is a surfer in the making……….(I keep telling him that you are never too old to start 🙂 ?!)

We had such an amazing weekend staying @surfsnowdonia – the weather was absolutely glorious ☀️, and I was so impressed with the size of the pods -they were really spacious {with a double bed and two single beds} and not forgetting the pods had electricity 🙌🏻 The surf lessons were fantastic- more to follow soon ….but for now, here is Mr Otis and Us heading off for his surf lesson. 🏄‍♂️ Have a lovely Monday in the sunshine {wishing we were back sipping wine outside our glamping pod watching the kids run wild} ☀️ . . .#hosted @surfsnowdonia #surfsnowdonia #findyourepic #evolvingwaves #surfinglife #surfing #northwales #surfingday #adventureeveryday #explore #getoutside #outdoorfamily #getoutdoors #neverstandstill #travelmadfam #travel #travelwithkids #glamping #camping #campinglife #snaphappybritmums #trips100 #surfphotography #surfpics

A post shared by Katy (@otisandus.blog) on May 20, 2018 at 11:43pm PDT

Family Friendly: Surf Snowdonia North Wales

So whilst the surfers were out catching the waves, I enjoyed a sunny spot on the edge of the lagoon with my two littlest kiddies. There was an outdoor soft play area that my four year old loved, and there is also a Soft Play Café where I enjoyed a cup of tea and a cake whilst the toddlers ran around the soft play shack. The prices for the day pass were £5 (and £3 off peak) for each child, which can be pricey for the bigger family, but I have to say it was a welcomed break from the shade and my kids do love an hour (or ten) in the soft play!

Crash & Splash Lagoon is an opportunity to test your balance, agility and determination by trying out the over-water challenge. The regular crash and splash session is suitable for age 12+, however for the younger children (5+) you can book onto a family crash and splash session. This was fully booked and we didn’t get chance to try out the challenge…but next time we will definitely book on to this. See website for more details and prices.

Out and About- things to do in Snowdonia with kids

Surf Snowdonia is in Conwy in the heart of North Wales and there are some wonderful things to do nearby including the Snowdonia Railway, Conwy town walls or there are plenty of breathtaking walks around Snowdonia National Park. It was an absolutely beautiful sunny day so after our surf lessons, we headed over to West Bay Beach to dip our toes in the sea, build a sandcastle or two and enjoy an ice cream.

glamping at Surf Snowdonia: Review

We had a really memorable weekend glamping at Surf Snowdonia. The Surf Snowdonia glamping pods are spacious and just lovely, and it was a great opportunity to try out the surfing in a controlled environment with calm and knowledgeable instructors. Our eldest absolutely loved the surfing, she was beaming throughout the 90 minute lesson. Surf Snowdonia is set in a beautiful area and I would’ve loved to have stayed a little longer and explored more of the area. Oh, and next time I’m handing the camera over to the hubby and trying my hand at surfing on those evolving waves…!

Would we return to Surf Snowdonia? Absolutely!

To find out more and to book – head over to Surf Snowdonia online.

Find out how Mini Travellers enjoyed their weekend at Surf Snowdonia!

Pin for later

Glamping at Surf Snowdonia

 

For more inspiration why not read –

 Llechwedd Slate Caverns

Glamping in North Yorkshire 

Dorset glamping in a yurt at Green Valley Yurts

 

I love to hear what you think of my blog, do leave a comment. You can find us over on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.

Smudged Postcard Family Travel Adventures

We were invited to stay at Surf Snowdonia for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

14 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ella (Typical Mummy) says

    June 17, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    This looks AMAZING!!!!!! I’m VERY jealous!!

    Reply
  2. Judy says

    June 18, 2018 at 2:03 pm

    Wow, this sounds like a fabulous place for a family visit!! They cater for all ages, and there are places to just sit and watch the water fun! I love the idea of a pod too, and it looks like they ticked all the boxes, with comfort a priority!!!

    Reply
  3. claire | The ladybirds' adventures says

    June 22, 2018 at 6:32 am

    Sounds like you had an amazing trip. Looks like a fantastic place.

    Reply
  4. Flyingkids says

    June 24, 2018 at 11:16 pm

    This looks amazing! Such a beautiful place to relax and have fun!

    Reply
  5. Nell (Pigeon Pair and Me) says

    July 4, 2018 at 12:06 pm

    Your pictures are beautiful! It’s great that they have stuff for children of different ages. My son would love to try this out, after his experience on the FlowRider on a cruise ship. So nice that you had great weather for it.

    Reply
  6. Jenny - TraveLynn Family says

    July 4, 2018 at 1:06 pm

    Those pods look fantastic! And you had such wonderful weather! I’d be all over that splash and crash – super fun! Saving this for when my boys are a little bit older.

    Reply
  7. Emma Raphael says

    July 5, 2018 at 10:10 am

    My older two are new to surfing after a lesson in Cornwall last year, and they are now addicted. I think they would absolutely love this place. I love how the site has found a new much more exciting purpose than the industrial life it used to have! 🙂

    Reply
  8. Sam | North East Family Fun Blog says

    July 6, 2018 at 9:47 am

    It looks fabulous and the perfect spot for kids. I love staying in a glamping pod – all the benefits of camping with none of the hassle!

    Reply
  9. Zena's Suitcase says

    July 17, 2018 at 3:53 pm

    It sounds like it has something for everyone. I think my OH and oldest would love to have a go at surfing, but I would probably have to hang out in the soft play with the 4 year old.

    Reply
  10. Wendy Cawley says

    August 7, 2018 at 10:23 am

    How can I book for a weekend in one of this pods?

    Reply
    • otisandus says

      August 7, 2018 at 6:33 pm

      Hi Wendy – if you pop over to https://www.surfsnowdonia.com you can book online!

      Reply
  11. Karen says

    September 21, 2018 at 11:19 am

    We loved our time at Surf Snowdonia lovely to see that it’s still as fabulous.

    Reply
  12. Annabel says

    October 7, 2018 at 6:25 pm

    This is such a brilliant concept! Great also that there’s a restaurant for an early dinner and facilities for little ones. Looks like you were very fortunate with the weather, lovely blue skies! Thanks for linking up with #FamilyFriendlyStays

    Reply
  13. Angharad Paull says

    October 8, 2018 at 7:06 pm

    Oh wow, I LOVE the look of this place! Pre-kids I used to surf all the time, so it would be great to introduce mine to it in this lagoon environment with a soft play on hand for the tinker one. I’d Never heard of this place before but will definitely be looking it up! #famikyfriendlystays

    Reply

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Vanlife Family • Travel


Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights dotted around a
Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3


🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages a
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈


A vintage rainbow 🌈

Mucho love tonight - hope
A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x


💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫

💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx


🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx

Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage


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Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟 Fairy lights dotted around a Ad🌟Top Tip 🌟

Fairy lights  dotted around a climbing frame
 
= A few more extra hours outside over the winter months 

Add in a flurry of snow ....

#1000hoursoutside 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #lockdown3
🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐 I often get messages a 🚐Vanlife with kids 🚐

I often get messages asking “where do you all sleep” and where did your toddler or baby  sleep in the camper ?

We bought our #t5 when our eldest was just 2, and we have had to adapt as our family has grown. We didn’t have the roof converted until much later so we tried a fair few sleeping options! 

I thought It might be helpful if I listed all of the sleeping options we have tried in our vwT5 because I often get questions about sleeping options with young kids.

⭐️Our new born baby slept in a sleepyhead in the camper as it was easily transportable and worked as  crib.

⭐️ We then found a deluxe travel cot that fit perfectly at the base of our rib bed and this worked from about 6 months 

⭐️We then moved on to a toddler inflatable air bed placed again at the bottom of our bed. We  found the toddler beds fit perfectly across the width of the van 

⭐️moving on we purchased a hammock that fitted over just the driver and passenger seat  and this worked great from about 3+

⭐️ Finally as our family grew... We  had our pop top roof added and the children slept well in the roof. We had a safety net fitted to the opening  of the roof and this allowed all our children to sleep in the roof safely and gave us some peace of mind - particularly as our son was young.

I’ve linked my post in my stories but do let me know if you have tried any other options that work for young children, particularly if you don’t have an elevating roof! Always here if I can help with anything or if you have any questions.

🌈
A vintage rainbow 🌈 Mucho love tonight - hope A vintage rainbow 🌈 

Mucho love tonight - hope you are all doing okay x
💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 💫Still one of my most favourite captures 💫 

Just popping on to wish all of you a Happy New Year 💕

Here we are .... Still hanging out in tier 4, (but hey I have three lovely days off 🤩) we have all got this🙌🏻

For now I’m going to keep dreaming, planning, doing a bit of vanlife shopping and redesigning our campervan 😂 (so if any of you lovely vanlife peeps can share and tag me in a picture of your interiors I would be eternally grateful). 

Hey I may even get this dissertation done 🤣

If it’s okay I’ll keep sharing the little bits in between, and of course our van life tips and tricks over the new year, until we can explore once again. 

Thanks for sticking with us - happy new year to my faves, lots of love and stay safe 

The Otis and Us tribe xxx
🌲 And that’s me signing off for Christmas. 🌲 

Let’s hope 2021 brings some sunshine, plans, adventures and a glimmer of hope. 

To all my lovely friends, family and wonderful vanlife peeps, thanks so much for all the love and support this year. 

Wishing you all a Happy Christmas and New year from Otis and Us xxx
Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing fram Ad / We are still loving our @wickey climbing frame, and so grateful to have this wonderful play area in our garden for the kids since the lockdown number two. 

It’s my last day of annual leave today. So we have spent the afternoon adding a few fairy lights to the MultiFlyer climbing frame - sprinkling a bit of magic and festive cheer out in the garden....

Moving on to the the camper next :) it definitely needs some fairy lights and a tree - Don’t you think? 🌲 

#wickeyadventure #wickeyplaytime #vimage
If this year has taught us anything, it’s defini If this year has taught us anything, it’s definitely to not take anything for granted. To take each day as it comes and to enjoy the simple things in life, finding  joy in those ordinary moments. 

I don’t need reminding of this but family and friends are everything. As are good old hugs. (I miss hugs!) And plans. Blooming love a plan. 😍

So ill keep on bobbing on here if that’s okay? I’ll keep planning, writing about our campervan adventures and sharing our van life love and outdoor life. Because we have to have hope and we have to keep dreaming.... 

Hope you are all doing okay, sending a virtual hug if you need one this weekend. My inbox is ALWAYS open, always.
🚐 4 years! 🚐 4 years blogging!! Wowzers tha 🚐 4 years! 🚐

4 years blogging!! Wowzers that has flown by!! 

I’ve had lots of new followers lately so thought I would pop on and say hello and tell you a little bit about us.

I’m Katy and I am behind Otis and us travel blog. I started the blog during my maternity leave - really because I love taking photos and wanted  a place that the kids can look back on and to document our van life adventures. I  am a full time specialist nurse and also currently working on an MSc. I am a whirlwind and life is definitely jam packed but I wouldn’t have it any other way :) 

We love our beautiful T5!! We have made so many memories and taken some wonderful roadtrips over the years. We haven’t managed to get out in the van much this year, but hey I’ve still been dreaming ... hopefully next year🤞🏻🤞🏻

We have three free spirited kiddies who love nothing more than a road trip,  sleeping in the poptop roof, exploring, beach life and toasting marshmallows. 

Mr Otis and Us, what can I say? The chilled one who has so much patience😆. He drives the many miles, lives on coffee and never ever says no to my crazy road trips and ideas. 

So here we are - the Otis and Us tribe, popping on to say hi. 
 
Thank you so much for following along, for all your interaction and love. It means the world. I love to hear from you all, every message and every comment. Thank you 🙏🏻 

Hope you will stay with us for 2021 , 

Stay safe 

Katy xx 🌈

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