June, 2013 - Goodtrippers

Eco glamping in South Wales at Cwtch Camp

Guest blogger Jacob Little reviews the cool eco campsite Cwtch Camp in South Wales

Cwtch Camping is set amongst the rolling countryside of South Wales in an area famed for its spectacular coastline and great beaches. It’s a secluded spot near Haverfordwest, and is within easy reach of main cities such as Bristol and Cardiff. The simplicity and pleasure of secluded, off-the-grid living can easily be found here amongst three acres of beautiful woodland.

Accommodation

The accommodation is best described as Scandinavian-style cabins, which are constructed using locally milled and sustainable timber. Insulated to keep warm on cold nights and stay cool during the summer, they’re beautifully crafted structures which are delightfully basic yet amazingly comfortable and cosy. The cabin I experienced during my stay was well decorated and furnished, with whitewashed walls and antique furniture which added to the atmosphere and rustic sense of homeliness. Although this is at heart a camping experience, they’ve really gone the extra mile to make it a warm, comfortable and cosy experience: so much care and attention has been put into decorating and furnishing the cabins.

Facilities

There are three cabins and one bell tent in the Cwtch Camping field, ranging from a double occupancy (with a very comfy double bed!) to the larger cabin which accommodates three adults or two adults and two children. There is a fantastically well-stocked kitchen and cooking area, with a range of utensils, pots, stoves and plates. Tea and coffee is supplied, and in addition a welcome hamper is fully stocked for your arrival. There is a shower cabin in the same field, and you can be sure of running hot water at any hour of the day or night!

Activities

Cwtch Camping is a real retreat – excellent if you want to get away from it all and escape to the proper Welsh countryside. It’s brilliant for anything active – walking and cycling are especially encouraged and the site offers bikes for hire. The nearby beaches of Broadhaven and Little Haven are worth exploring and only a short cycle ride or drive away. The excellent (and award winning) pub The Swan serves some of the very best food in the area.

Recommended for… A great getaway of couples and anyone wanting to explore the area’s beautiful countryside and coastline. It’s also perfect for groups – a large campfire and stove which is provided offers a focal point and it would be a good place to host a barbeque or gathering of close friends.

Be aware that… There’s no getting away from the fact that this place is beautifully secluded, so you have to be prepared to source your own entertainment, and be prepared for the weather…!

‘Good’ credentials:

Low-impact accommodation
Cabins built from locally-milled and sustainable timber
Working in harmony with the natural environment
Wild food, forager walks run from the campsite

For more information and booking visit www.cwtchcamping.co.uk or email: info@cwtchcamping.co.uk, T: 0752 5779 454.

About the author: Jacob Little is an online marketing professional who loves to write, take photos and travel. He also loves to explore, find new places and publish stories on his blog. He also provides freelance copywriting and content creation services. Visit http://www.jacoblittleportfolio.co.uk for more info.

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Brunch at The Toucan Cafe, Minehead, Somerset

Before heading back home from a lovely week in a rural farmhouse in Somerset, a quick pit-stop at nearby Minehead uncovered this gem – The Toucan Cafe, the perfect place for a healthy and hearty brunch.

Located on the main high street and upstairs from the accompanying Toucan Wholefoods health store, The Toucan Cafe serves an entirely vegetarian menu. The bright, colourful (handpainted bird murals are everywhere) cafe is spread over three small, but very light and airy, rooms so you should be able to grab a seat (if not, they are good at takeaways). When Goodtrippers visited on a Friday morning, the place was buzzing with locals, many of whom appeared to be regulars.

Organic and healthy food

We ate a delicious (and incredibly filling!) falafel sandwich with hummous and chilli sauce, served with a much more interesting salad than your average obligatory garnish (mixed leaves and homemade dressing came to life with the addition of sprouting seeds and pumpkin seeds). Also on the table, a ‘full English’ breakfast vegetarian style served with wholesome chunks of their lovely granary bread. This is filling stuff (in a good way!) which rather put paid to our plans to buy lots of foodie goodies from the nearby farmers’ market to eat on the way home (we did that anyway, just not eating it until the next day!).

The rest of the lengthy menu includes a range of organic veggie snacks and treats – homemade soup of the day, gluten-free savoury muffins, mezze plates, superfood salads, toasted paninis and sandwiches called things like ‘The Bugs Bunny’ (grated carrot, alfalfa sprouts and more if you’re wondering), and their own McToucan Burger (vegetarian, of course). Drinks include a good range of coffees (including flat whites), herbal teas, fresh smoothies and other soft drinks. There is also an extensive range of homemade cakes and other sweet treats – it would make a lovely afternoon tea spot.

If you’ve already stocked up on health foods and natural skin care products downstairs in the shop, there’s always the Toucan therapy rooms on the second floor ready to take your bookings for massage, Reiki and reflexology (although perhaps not immediately after brunch….!).

The Toucan Cafe is open 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Tel: 01643 706101, E: enquiries@toucanwholefoods.co.uk

‘Good’ credentials:

100% vegetarian menu
Organic, wholefoods
Fairtrade coffee
Health food shop downstairs
Complementary therapy rooms upstairs

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Ta-Dar! Escape to the Dar HI Eco Lodge, Tunisia

Heard of a ‘dar’? It could be your new Tunisian eco escape…

Tourism in Tunisia is slowly on the increase again as independent travellers seek out the vibrancy and exoticism of northern Africa. And stylish eco hotels and lodges are popping up all over the area, many in the form of ‘dars’ – boutique hotels converted from townhouses and mansions.

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One such dar, which proudly proclaims its eco credentials (and is therefore a safe bet for any ‘Goodtripper’), is the Dar HI Eco Lodge and Spa located in the historic Nefta town, southwest of Tunis, on the edge of the Chott El Jerid desert (a location that has played backdrop to the Star Wars films to name but a few). The lodge area includes date tree gardens and shaded terraces in which to relax.

Dar HI is super stylish with contemporary design throughout using a mix of natural materials, Arabian inspiration and zingy, uplifting colours. It even houses a ‘laboratory’ for PalmLab – a network dedicated to researching modern uses of the palm tree, whether in cooking, skincare, architecture and design. Dar HI displays many of the project’s pilot designs in its interiors.

Accommodation:

The 17 rooms are based around four concepts: The Pill Rooms (high above ground with exceptional views); The Troglodytes (reminisent of the traditional troglodyte homes of Matmata, each room has a private terrace and is linked to the others by a circular communal space); The Dunes (at sand level these rooms are inspired by bivouacs and the natural, cave-like spaces the wind creates in sand dunes); Dar Malika (a traditional house in the village, perfect for families who still wish to use the hotel facilities).

Facilities:

The natural source of hot water beneath Dar HI means the available hammam and swimming pool remain warm with no need for additional energy to be used in heating. The on-site spa offers the usual range of treatments you’d expect alongside some Arabic specialities including Arabic massage and warm sand scrubs (using sand from the nearby desert).

Food:

Organic food is served in the restaurant which is housed in a lovely caven-like space where diners can watch the chefs at work in the open-plan kitchen. They also grow and cook their own vegetables on-site.

‘Good’ credentials:

Sustainable design and interiors throughout (including hosting PalmLab)
Natural hot water source used for pools and hammam
Organic food served in the restaurant (using homegrown produce)

For more information, including prices and booking, visit www.dar-hi.net/en

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Rainbo street food van at Kerb, Kings Cross

One sunny lunchtime this week, Goodtrippers took a walk up to London King’s Cross’ street food market Kerb – this collection of organic, homemade, foodie vans is always a good bet for lunch, and this trip introduced us to Rainbo for the first time.

Through selling their own delicious homemade gyoza, Rainbo are also funding a child worker rescue initiative in Nepal to help put an end to child labour. Organic food and charity – this is right up our street at Goodtrippers!

Food:

The centerpiece of their Spring/Summer 2013 menu is the homemade gyoza – choose from Chicken & Coriander; Tofu & Shitake; or Pork & Pickled Ginger (we plumped for a mix of the chicken and the tofu – 5 for £4, or 8 for £6 – which were fresh, flavoursome and light with none of the chewy or undercooked texture you sometimes get when gyoza isn’t done well. We meant to take a picture to share but had scoffed the lot before remembering!). Gyoza can also be bought in a Rainbo box which comes with crunchy Asian ‘slaw with caramelised peanuts and edamame beans (unfortunately sold out by the time we’d got there!). Fresh miso soup and a selection of Yogi teas are also on offer.

All ingredients are fresh and sourced as locally as possible: meat is free range, veg is picked daily from Rainbo’s local market, and the organic tofu is made by Clean Bean in Brick Lane, London. All their compostable and recycled packing is by London Bio Packaging and Biopac.

Where:

You can find Rainbo at Kerb in King’s Cross on Tuesday lunchtimes throughout June (and hopefully longer); Street Feast in Hackney on Friday nights; and at various other foodie markets and summer events. Best to check their website for and Twitter feed (@rainbofood) for updates on their whereabouts.

‘Good’ credentials:

Locally sourced, free range, homemade, organic food
Compostable, recycled packaging used
20p from every meal sold goes directly to the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of child labourers in Nepal. Through their Food for Freedom initiative, Rainbo have partnered with charity Base, and already rescued hundreds of Nepalese children from child labour, but with an estimated 2 million still forced to work in the tourism industry, there’s still a lot to do. Read more about their initiative here.

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