As always, this post is to inspire the budget conscience that travel is for everyone; frugal fun can be had without feeling as if you’re missing out. A past visit camping to Shell island in Wales was no exception.
This adventure was one of the best camping trips to Wales I have ever been on. We took the trip in our original campervan; a very unreliable VW T25 called Hettie. Hettie broke down all the time so it was questionable that we would actually reach Wales at all. As ever this weekend was all about the budget, however we did push the boat out a little as an opportunity for my hubby to hurl himself down the fastest zip line in Europe just couldn’t be missed (more about that adventure later).
The Campsite
Our chosen campsite was an absolute gem. It can be a little busy but you can always find a patch of land on this 350 acre site to call your own for the weekend. The campsite in question is the lovely Shell Island www.shellisland.co.uk located in North Wales. Now this campsite is a little more than I usually like to pay, however for special locations I am prepared to dig a little deeper into my pockets for unique places and this campsite is quite special. The campsite used to be a working farm, but nowadays it is home to campers (no caravans I’m afraid) wanting to enjoy the peace and tranquility of the island. The campsite does have a range of facilities for you to use or you can simply keep yourself tucked away unnoticed, people watch and soak up the view. When we visited the campsite we managed to pitch up with a sea view in a potentially perfect sunset position (sunset junkie here). It was on a perfect corner of the island with easy access to the beach. The current cost of this little beauty is £8.50 per adult per night, not cheap depending on how many of you there are but definitely worth every budget busting penny.
The View from our pitch
Off the Island Fun
We live in an area situated in the middle of England as far away from the sea as you can get, so going to visit any coast line is always a 2-3 hour trip. Like I’ve said previously, I love travelling and can quite happily sit in a traffic jam, however I also like to fill my adventures to the brim so I don’t feel like I’ve wasted my weekend. For this reason I will always try to find a cheap and cheerful attraction stop, along the way, to break up the journey.
On this particular trip we visited RAF Cosford Museum which is situated just outside of Rugby. RAF Cosford is free, free, free … Did you hear me? I said free attraction (yay!) and is a great place to spend a few hours or longer on route to Wales depending on where you are travelling from. They have various hangers which house lots of planes, up close and personal. Kids view in awe whilst they stand underneath these mammoth machines. They have lots of planes on display from different eras, along with uniforms through the ages and artifacts found in war zones from around the world. They also have an area to learn all about defying the laws of gravity and demonstrate how these magnificent mechanical beasts get off the ground. It’s a great place for young kids and adults alike as there is so much to interest all ages. They have a cafe area on site however, to make it budget friendly for yourselves, pack your own refreshments and save your money for the ice creams instead.
On our first evening at the campsite we headed down to the beach and made our own little fire ready for……..you got it, the tradition of toasting marshmallows. It was a perfect evening in my eyes: marshmallows, good company and a gorgeous sunset. If you are not a marshmallow fan, then there are plenty of other great yummies that can be cooked on an open fire in a jiffy (recipes to follow). As mentioned in my previous posts, it is best to let the kids be inventive, get involved and cook themselves a campfire treat to be proud of.
Campfire on the beach
On Saturday we headed over to Zip World based in the Snowdonia National Park, as mentioned earlier. This was a present for my husband and usually costs between £70-£100, but I am told it is well worth the minute or two that you travel at speeds of up to 100mph. As part of my husband's gift he also got to have a go on the Zip World Fforest Coasters at Betws-y-coed (spelled unusually with 2 fs). This is a kilometre long toboggan run that twists and twines through the forest at fast speeds. The tickets are £20.00 per person but again it is quite good fun if you can stretch your budget. My kids still talk about this toboggan run now, several years later. There are a range of other activities at Zip World for the adrenaline junkie such as tree top swings and underground trampolines. .
If you have time whilst in the area you can visit the nearby quaint little village of Betws-y-Coed, this village is located in the Conwy Valley and is surrounded by the Gwydir Forest. It is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts with hiking shops on every corner. There is a lovely little park for a picnic and plenty of fish and chip shops and other eateries. The beautiful Swallow Falls waterfall is just outside the village (in walking distance) for all you nature lovers.
During our second night on Shell island we had a magical view of the Milky Way. This is a great location for star spotting as although it isn’t officially a dark skies site, there seems to be little light pollution here. Make sure you have eaten your carrots so you can see those stars in the dark. Unfortunately on this occasion I didn’t have my trusty Skyview app ready to identify the wonders above or my basic telescope but if you are planning on going to Shell Island I recommend downloading this app before you go and get savvy with identifying the night sky and pronouncing those complicated constellation names. It is available for both Android and iPhone users and is simple to use. This could be a romantic idea for a couple or a great activity for the kids once darkness descends.
On our final day we visited the lovely estuary town of Barmouth for a walk along the beach. Barmouth is your typical seaside town. There is a little funfair area, a small harbour, a life boat centre and donkeys on the beach. Visit the lovely little cafe named Davy Jones Locker for a nice cuppa and some great food surrounded by trinkets and gems you might find in a treasure chest. Don’t just take my word for it check them out on Tripadvisor.
Homeward Bound
As at the start of our trip, I usually like to finish with a stop off to a freebie attraction on the way back home. On this trip we stopped off at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct https://www.pontcysyllte-aqueduct.co.uk/ along the Llangollen Canal. The site is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is free to marvel at this impressive piece of engineering and walk over the 19 arches along the towpath, just make sure you’ve got a stomach for heights and a camera for the view.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct
So for an extra special campsite don’t forget this little beauty. Shell Island is not ‘cheap as chips’ but the freebie finds can still make it a frugal and fun weekend away.
Shell Island Sunset
Life needs more starry nights and bonfires
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