Dorset glamping at Caalm Camp Review in a Mongolian Yurt in the idyllic countryside. We had a very special end to Charlie’s half-term holiday spending three nights glamping with Caalm Camp in Dorset. Having never been on a glamping break before I was interested to see how the boys would take to it and the yurts in Dorset at the glamping site. Hubby also had some quite strong preconceived ideas around the idea of glamping and not necessarily good ones. Historically he has much preferred his creature comforts and a stay within four walls. So I guess the question is how did we get on during our stay in the heart of Dorset?
Dorset Glamping at Caalm Camp Review
Arriving at Caalm Camp – Yurts in Dorset
We arrived mid-afternoon on Friday to be greeted by Mark who runs Caalm Camp with his wife Carly. Having never been on a glamping holiday before he gave us the low down on where to find everything. Including the all-important firewood and coal. I think that this was our biggest concern, making sure we all kept nice and warm, especially this time of year. We really need not have worried. Mark explained that if we brought a bucket of coal for £3 it would be enough to keep the log burner running overnight. We did this and it worked really well, keeping us all nice and toasty. Although I was a little worried about Harry (see below).
The communal area
When we visited there are six yurts on-site, each named after a wildflower. In the easy access communal house a short walk from the yurts which is open twenty-four hours, there is a large modern kitchen area with cupboards and a fridge for each yurt. There are also two ovens and everything you need to cook in should you wish. Each yurt also has its own BBQ and a full range of tools so you can cook inside or outside. The house also has a communal seating area with plenty of space to eat and relax, and a selection of games and books to choose from. When we used the communal area during our visit we had it all to ourselves most of the time. Having this area does also lend Caalm Camp to bing a great choice for a stay with friends or family.
Each yurt has its own private bathroom, set up as a wet room with hot showers. I like that it is a private space which means you don’t need to worry about others making a mess. The shower room is huge and takes up the whole end of the room. Lots of space for us all to fit in especially useful if you are trying to wash the kids.
The back door of the house opens up into a barn where Ruby the goat lives. She was very popular with boys wanting to say hello and be fed! There are also a pool and a table tennis table. The whole area is undercover, ideal for when the weather is wet and you want some fun in the dry! Outside the house, there is the log store. Where you can help yourself to lots of dry well seasoned wood for the log burners. There is also a smaller stock of wood for the fire pit that comes with each Mongolian yurt.
Our Mongolian Yurt
Our Mongolian yurt was called Cowslip and had the most beautiful hand-painted red door. Inside the wooden struts are also painted and they use horsehair to tie them together because it doesn’t rot. It was so nice laying and looking at the painted slats in the morning. The size of the yurt itself really surprised me. I really wasn’t expecting it to be so big. In front of the door is the log burner, and behind that are proper beds – a double bed and two large single beds on either side.
There is a small cooking station which has a hot plate and a kettle, one of the best ways of making breakfast and coffee in the morning. Without needing to leave the yurt. Each yurt has a drinking water tap just outside the door. The floor is covered in matting and there are plenty of lights and power points. The wood burner is surrounded on three sides by a mesh guard. The front is open, which did cause us some concern with Harry since he is only 21 months old. I was worried that he would touch it. As it got so hot that as an adult the only way you could tend the fire was with a glove. I really would like to see an option of a fireguard that goes all the way around when families with younger children are staying.
How we slept at Caalm Camp – Dorset Glamping
One of the best things is that for each of the three nights and the boys slept really well. Even Hubby and I managed to catch up on some much-needed sleep in the comfortable bed. Perhaps it is because Caalm Camp is located in the beautiful Dorset countryside. With a relaxed atmosphere, the unique hideaways in rural Dorset promote a better night’s sleep? After all there’s something very relaxing about listening to owls hooting in the evening.
This is definitely the right place if you want to switch off. I think it did us a world of good being technology free in the evenings. Although the house does have a TV if you need a fix. We played board and card games into the evening with twinkly lights sparkling into the evening. Each yurt also has its own picnic bench, so in the warmer months, you could quite easily sit outside enjoying the peace and quiet or having an al fresco meal.
Attractions in the local area
Caalm Camp is well placed for a wide range of family attractions and days out on the south coast. In the house, there is a folder that has lots of ideas of things to get up to in the dorset area of outstanding natural beauty. I really like that there is also a whole section of things to do in the rain. Because let’s face it the British weather is not always that reliable. I really like that a lot of thought has gone into it. Suggestions include Lulworth Cove, Lyme Regis, Poole harbour and Durdle Door. There really is something to do close by for the whole family. When we visited we went to Corfe Castle, Brownsea Island Swanage Steam Railways, Weymouth Sealife Centre, The Dinosaur Museum and Dorset County Museum to see Dippy on Tour. You can read more about some of our days out below:
-
Visiting Corfe Castle National Trust
-
Weymouth Sealife Centre Review
-
Brownsea Island National Trust
Our conclusions
We had a comfortable stay at Camp Caalm and really enjoyed our family break. it gave us the freedom of a camping holiday but with some of the home comforts. Which kept the Hubby happy. We really fell in love with the stunning location and beautiful countryside. With so many great family days out on the doorstep, I would recommend this great place for a mini break. We enjoyed it so much that we made a short video of our stay and our weekend away.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piAFccWUZJI[/embedyt]
Have you stayed in a Mongolian yurt before? Or yurts in Dorset? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments below. If you would like to find out more or to book your own glamping getaway then check their website
If you’ve liked this post please follow me on my social media channels:
Mudpie Fridays: YouTube | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | LinkedIn
PIN for later – Dorset Glamping at Caalm Camp Review – Yurts in Dorset
75 Responses
What an amazing site! The yurts look awesome and fully kitted out with what you need for your stay there, comfy too! Sim x
We’ve never been glamping either but it looks so much fun! A world away from a flimsy tent! #bloggerclubuk
This looks fab. Glad you had a great time. #bloggerclubuk
Wow! You are so lucky to get away every month; how awesome. We went glamping when the children are younger and I loved everything about it apart from the log burner in the same room…..we were smoked out at one point! I love the yurt names at this site and the communal facitilites look excellent. #bloggerclubuk
I love glamping and thought about visiting Caalm but life and other holidays have gotten in the way! #bloggerclubuk
Now this would be fun camping!! It is like what you would see in a magazine! #bloggerclubUK
This looks SOOOOO cool!! what an excellent find! I absolutely love Dorset so love hearing about hidden gems like this. THanks for sharing #bloggerclubUK
This looks like my kind of camping! The yurt is so beautiful! #BloggerClubUK
Great post and beautiful photos. I would like to do Glamping and has been in mind for a while. Thank you for the post. #bloggerclubuk
This looks fantastic. I refuse to camp, if there isn’t a real toilet than it is not a vacation. I could definitely do this though! #BloggerClubUK
This place looks fab and a much better option than straight up harsh camping which my body can no longer take (those days are gone!) – really like the setting too and the kids would love the ? #BloggersClubUK
I’ve done well this year to persuade my husband to holiday in a caravan. I could never get him to go camping, but this is something he might consider. It looks fab and very toddler friendly. Mmmmmm…. some more ideas for travel *checks diary* #BloggerClubUK
This looks a great place to take the kids! Glad you all had a great time x
Looks so good, would love to try glamping, some of the tents look amazing, just like this one
How lovely. My fiance and I went glamping the year before last and it was freezing however we were in a bell tent where the provided bed was air inflated but kept going down. It was a nice experience but glad we didn’t take the kids as they wouldn’t have been able to cope as well as we did, but the yurt you stayed in looks luxurious compared to our bell tent lol. Definitely enough to keep all ages occupied and a great way to experience the great outdoors with the comfort of home thanks to having heating in the yurt. Definitley something we would look into doing as a family.
looks a wonderful place to stay and visit
This looks amazing, I’d love to stay there!
I woudl never have thought of glamping in the cold weather but I bet that burner kept you all toasty! Caalm Camp looks amazing, my kids woudl love it as it is really different to anything we have done before. Mich x #countrykids
LLooks like yurt had a great time……….I’m so sorry for the pun, it just had to be done!
This looks amazing, I’d love to go.
Looks fun
That yurt looks really good! If I was to go camping I definitely would have to do it in style like that
This looks absolutely amazing! 🙂 I think I’ll have to add Caalm Camp to my list of places to stay. The kids would love it.
That looks great fun, I love glamming but haven’t stayed in a Yurt #bloggerclubuk
What an amazing place to visit! We have never been glamping before but it’s something we always say we would like to try. I love the look of Caalm Camp and that there is the communal area too. It looks like you had a great time!
This looks awesome. I could never camp but I could definitely go for glamping.
A friend of mine stayed here in November and really loved it. I love all the decor and sounds like there is so much to do.
I’m not into camping at all but I might reconsider with this set up.
What a fab adventure! I’ve only ever stayed in a yurt once, in Orkney, and I loved it. What a super place to visit!
This looks amazing, I’ve always fancied staying in a Yurt! I think I need to go and investigate further.
This place looks fantastic – I have glamped twice and to be honest put off as it was sO cold at night. Your yurt looked pretty cosy though. Kaz
Oh this place looks amazing! We have glamped in a few places (last time in the Black Forest when it snowed in the middle of the night!!) 😀 I love all the little extra touches here, it looks very well thought out! 🙂
Wow! This looks better than some hotels I’ve stayed in! I love that you have your own private shower etc. that’s what puts me off camping, it wasn’t a problem when I was younger but now I love the luxuries.
These yurts are beautiful and I love how much there is to keep everyone happy. It makes it so much easier!
Having barely slept one night in a tent on a racecourse during a festival I’m all for trying glamping. So this sounds a great place. #bloggerclubuk
I’ve fancied glamping for ages. This place looks amazing!
this place looks amazing but like you I would be worried by the lack of full fire guard. Glad you enjoyed your break.
What an amazing place. I have never stayed in anything like this before. I would love to visit 🙂
I can see camping as a possibility in winter like this. I bet the kids had an amazing time, it does look ideal with little ones as they can always see you at night and not be scared. The wood burner sounds ideal for keeping everyone toasty and warm. I love to listen to the sound of nature at night, it is so relazing. A lovely sounding 3 days away.
Thank you for sharing with me on #CountryKids
AMAZING place maybe i will try glamping too
We use to camp a lot. But nothing as amazing as this. Your camping is next level awesomeness and its so pretty in there. I suddenly miss camping after reading this =) #countrykids
What an amazing glamping trip and the yurt looks very nice almost like a hotel inside! x I’d recognise that jacket anaywhere 😉 #CountryKids
I’ve never tried glamping but it sounds like fun. That yurt is huge and it looks like a wonderful place to stay. I would have been nervous about the lack of fireguard too though. It sounds like it was a good location as well for visiting different places. #countrykids
These Yurts looks fantastic, really well furnished and the communal house has everything you need and also very stylish – I love glamping but we have had both good and bad but this place looks luxurious but still rugged which I love. Great spot
Laura x
Wow this is my idea of camping!! Great article too!
What a great site! I’ve always fancied glamping and great to see its child friendly. x #bloggerclubuk
This looks like a great place to go to for a family holiday. #Countrykids
It looks like a really good family experience. I particularly like that the yurts have private wet rooms. Sharing communal ablutions is a turn off for me following some unpleasant experiences when I was camping with my parents when I was young. Thanks for the useful review.
Oh my gosh, I HAVE to go glamping…this looks AMAZING! I can’t belive how big that yurt is. Glad you had such a lovely break, it really does look wonderful xx
I’d love to go glamping, never been
This looks different but a lot of fun!
IIt looks like you could have an amazing weekend at the the camp.
I have heard a lot about glamping, a few people I know have gone glamping. The photos you shared are pretty good, I now get a better idea of glamping and it does not look too bad. Thanks for sharing #bloggerclubuk
This looks a great place and I bet my kids would love it, we have been camping (traditional in a tent) but with a 15 month now in the mix this would make a great alternative to the tent
that’s a house, not a tent. think i could get use to camping like that
this looks really lovely – ive stayed in yurts before but we didnt have any of the luxuries you guys had
We’ve never been glamping before but this looks really good!
I’m really keen to try glamping, this looks really luxurious
I thought everything would be in the yurt so you don’t need to go to another building if it’s raining for example. I’m not I could convince my family to go here x
We used to go camping every weekend but then it tailed off as the kids got bigger, this might be a great alternative x
those yurts looks so cosy
Worth going on a glamping trip looking at such cool pics
This has made me want to take my granddaughter and her parents. Can’t wait until she is a little older.
we have never been clamping, because we have our own motorhome
This looks amazing! I could reconsider camping
Wow! This place looks awesome! So unique in comparison to the bog standard trips away with kids, I love it x
wow, I can’t believe how much is in the tent!! I would definitely love to do this.
Looks like you had everything you could possibly need for your stay. Like the idea of the private shower.
Glad you had a great time, I’d love to go glamping – and really, there probably are many areas near our house we could go as we live near the south downs!
Oh lordy! That looks amazing! My kind of getaway.
This looks a fantastic place, possible the nearest my husband will get to camping!
This looks fab. Ive never been camping as Im scarred of spiders comming in my tent lol. Id probably stay in this
wow that looks amazing! Camping really isnt for me but im tempted to give this a try
Looks like great fun! Glad you had a good time!
Got to be honest the idea of glamping is much more appealing than camping ?