THE Cornish drizzle had set in upon arrival at our “safari lodge” but nothing was going to dampen our spirits.
After all, this wasn’t just any accommodation — we had a theme park as our back garden.
Family favourite Camel Creek has welcomed visitors to its award-winning adventure park near Padstow since 1989, but until now, the fun always had to end at closing time.
Following a £1million investment, this beloved Cornwall attraction now welcomes guests overnight with the launch of Camel Creek Camping & Glamping.
And my 11-year-old daughter Lexi, husband Paul and I were among the first families to experience it.
The site offers grass, hard-standing, and all-weather touring pitches plus luxurious glamping options including bell tents and safari lodges.
The whole area has been beautifully landscaped: Think lots of twinkling lights, greenery and space.
Our safari lodge, aptly named Sunset, overlooked West Country farmland stretching to the horizon.
More importantly, it was just a two-minute walk from more than 40 thrilling rides and attractions.
Despite being a sophisticated tent rather than a solid building, the lodge was surprisingly spacious — big enough to sleep nine — though smaller family safari tents sleeping up to four are also available.
And it came with a private deck, en-suite bathroom and fully equipped kitchen.
We were amazed by the luxury touches: Super-soft linens, quality towels and proper kitchen utensils that made it feel like a premium hotel under canvas.
Luckily for us, Camel Creek is a fantastic day out no matter what the weather, as many of the rides and attractions are under cover.
The park boasts more than 45,000sq ft of indoor play areas, ensuring families can enjoy themselves even on rainy days.
Key covered attractions include the newly designed Hidden Garden indoor play and cafe, Creeky’s Playhouse (an indoor soft play area), the 5D Theatre with moving seats and 3D glasses and various animal encounters housed in indoor facilities like the reptile house.
The water rides are probably the best for adrenaline junkies — and those who don’t mind getting wet, which Lexi didn’t.
As it was quiet due to the weather, she went on her favourite water ride Thunder Falls, six times in a row — drenched, yet in high spirits, by the time she got off.
Luckily a hot shower was only moments away.
Merlin’s Magical Playground is ideal for younger children, and home to a ball pit and slides.
Leopard cats
Animal lovers will enjoy the meerkats, pets corner and the reptile house. And new for this year are owls and leopard cats.
My favourite ride was Raging Rivers, water slides you bomb down.
The climb up is a bit arduous, but it’s worth the effort.
Standing more than 20ft above the ground, it offers two different slide experiences — a long bumpy ride or an almost vertical-drop smooth ride that will leave your heart racing.
After a few hours in the park, we headed back to our lodge to dry off then ventured out to the on-site restaurant. There is also a shop selling basic provisions if you want to cook.
If it had been warm enough, we would have fired up the barbecue that came with our safari lodge set-up. Another time.
The flexibility of having both indoor dining options and the ability to self-cater made our stay incredibly convenient, especially with unpredictable weather.
After an action-packed day we were happy to retire to our lodge.
The insulation and heating worked brilliantly, making the lodge surprisingly warm and cosy. It was hard to believe we were under canvas.
Although the wind whipped up a little, we all slept well and stayed warm enough during the night.
The next day, we had a couple more hours in the park.
Arriving as it opened, we were delighted to be among the first on many of the rides.
We loved our night of glamping at Camel Creek, even with the typical British weather doing its worst.
With its mix of indoor attractions and cosy canvas accommodation, rain or shine, it’s fantastic family fun.
GO: Camel Creek
STAYING THERE: A two-night stay glamping is from £300 and touring & camping from £106.
See stay.camelcreek.co.uk .
