It’s no secret – we love glamping. Who doesn’t like the feeling of staying in an open meadow or a midnight stroll under the stars before retiring to bed in a teepee, tent, or caravan?
Over the years we’ve discovered some pretty special glamping sites including TUTC, Ladakh and Twelve Apostles Lodge, Melbourne. But glamping at those sites can get pretty darn expensive. So this year, we wanted to write about a few affordable and family-friendly glamping sites around the world. Add to this the fact that we’ve been craving a trip to our favourite continent, Europe, for a while now. Can you guess where this is going? Yep, we’re going glamping at one of Yelloh Village’s camps at La Chênaie next month. We’ve booked a wee cottage for ourselves on a campsite that has a heated swimming pool, a mini farm, and a spa that boasts of a sauna and hammam as well.
Fun things to do in the area
Of course, we can’t wait to see what the area has to offer. La Chênaie is conveniently located, close to Nantes, Pornic, and St. Nazaire. There is no dearth of things to do in this area and I’m sure we’ll discover even more activities once we are there but for now we are excited about these things in particular:
- Photographing the sumptuous Castle of The Dukes of Brittany
The gorgeous castle boasts of over five centuries of history. It is surround by picturesque gardens, which make for a pretty picture. But that’s not all – the castle’s interiors are a goldmine for history enthusiasts. There is a huge museum with intriguing exhibits and a residential Palace within the premises of the Castle of The Dukes of Brittany. The best part is that entry is free!
- Riding a giant elephant at Les Machines De L’ile de Nantes
Nowhere else in the world would we get to sightsee on top of a wooden elephant. This quirky pachyderm can be found at Les Machines De L’ile de Nantes. It ‘walks’ super slowly, so a fun ride is guaranteed. Just make sure you book ahead because the elephant sprays water on anyone who strays too close to it without a ticket.
- Driving around the French countryside
The city of Nantes is located by the Loire River at the edge of the Brittany region, so we are super excited to rent a car and explore the surrounding area. That’s because May and June are the months where flower fields are in full bloom in Europe – I’m hoping we’ll chance on a few of them at least.
- Relaxing at Pornic’s Beaches
Shhh this might be the #1 reason we chose the campsite at La Chênaie from Yelloh Village’s catalogue- it is close to the idyllic beaches in Pornic. Pornic isn’t on regular tourist trails as most tourists head straight to the French Riviera for beach holidays. So we’re excited to explore the beaches and shops at Pornic to see what they have to offer. We’ll report back for sure!
- Devouring crèpes by the dozen
We can’t be this close to Brittany and leave without have crêpes for breakfast every day right? Crêpe Brettonne is one of my favorite French dishes – while it lacks the finesse of French cuisine, it makes for a wholesome meal. I love the crisp exterior and could have it for every meal. Just writing about rustic crêpes in the French countryside is making me drool!
Planning future travels is keeping us busy (and excited!) this month. Are you going away for a holiday this summer? Tell us in the comments below 🙂 And if you have been to Nantes before, we’d love to hear suggestions from you 😀
Planning a trip to France?
Read our article on 10 Offbeat Things to do in Paris
Check out all our articles on France here.
Looks like there are loads of good things to do. That giant elephant looks fun
Hey Hannah,
Yeah really looking forward to trying that out 😉
Cheers
This place reminds me of my holiday next month. I love outdoor holidays!
So true Ashleigh – even we can’t wait 😀
Wow that mechanical elephant looks amazing! It looks like a really fun area with lots of things to see and do.
I know right? It’s crazy how excited that elephant is getting me about visiting Nantes 😉
This sounds exciting! can’t wait wait to hear the full account ☺️
Have been readinf your blog and also follow you on Instagram. I cannot help but notice, the pictures you upload on insta are just impeccable. What kind of camera do you use?
Thanks a ton Sanjana – We use a Nikon D610 for all our photographs 🙂
Oh wow what an amazing place to get to visit, and how awesome is that mechanical elephant I bet that is an amazing sight to see.
Thanks Sarah – doesn’t it look amazing? We’re excited to visit 🙂
We’re going to Devon this year for two weeks. It’s so lovely but I really love the look of Nantes – your photo’s look amazing! x
Ooh Devon is super special too – do consult our itinerary of Devon before booking your trip 🙂
This looks amazing, my partner actually said he wants to go to Brittany so a trip to France will probably be happening soon x
oooh that’s amazing Jenni – that’ll give you an excuse to binge on crepes 🙂
I would love to go and see the Castle of the Duke of Brittany as I happen to be invested in history so relics like castles always intrigue me x
Ditto – A part of my PhD thesis was on French History, so I always love reading about historical sites and witnessing them in person 🙂
I can’t wait to see what you guys get up to!
This summer, I’m taking a trip through Spain, spending a week in Anaheim, CA (and seeing the Pacific Costal Highway ahhh I’m so excited), and spending a week at a teeny beach in North Carolina known as Emerald Isle- I love it there because it’s completely residential and gorgeous!
Oooh that sounds amazing Adele – we love CA and Spain – both such special places 🙂 Will check out Emerald Isle on your suggestion
La Chênaie sounds absolutely perfect, I am so jealous of your upcoming adventure. Do have the best of fun relaxing.
Thanks Anosa – we plan to relax as much as possibly can 🙂
I’ve never been to Nantes, but that giant mechanical elephant looks like a definite winner for me! x
Hey Becca – I hear you -the fact that it sprays trespassers with water excites me 😉
Wow the castle looks stunning and that elephant is so awesome, looks like a great place x
Thanks Rhian 🙂 Excited about photographing the caste, especially the grounds 🙂
We used to do this when my brother and I were younger – those holidays are some o my favourites x
Really nice to hear that – camping holidays are perfect for families and we hear this campsite is especially popular with kids 🙂
I have wanted to go to France but mainly as I want to take the children to Disney Land Paris they haven’t been and I know they would love it. I think If I was to go to France I would like to visit with my husband or friends so we can see the beautiful country side and enjoy some French Cuisine.
Hey Melanie – that sounds like a great plan. The French countryside has so much to offer and what’s better than some French wine and cheese to go with 🙂
Les Machines De L’ile looks like such fun! I know my whole family would love the weather and riding the elephant!
It’s ideal for families – I’m really looking forward to seeing what the area has to offer 🙂
The photos are fab and this looks like an amazing place. Loving the elephant 🙂 x
Thanks Melanie – looking forward to visiting Nantes and seeing all it has to offer 🙂
Wow! All of your photographs are fabulous and made me want to visit the area NOW. However, my favourite has to be the mechanical elephant. I have never seen anything like it in my life and I now want to give it a ride!
Hehe I love how the quirky elephant is getting all of us so excited about Nantes- so glad I’m not the only one 🙂
Hey…
I’m looking forward for new pictures of Nantes from your eyes…
I lived in Nantes and I just moved to India…
It’s a calm, peaceful place and hope you have an amazing time there…
And crepes,Oh my God yeah… crepes in Brittany are to die for…
Fingers crossed waiting for the pictures…❤?Have an amazing trip.
Thanks Bharani – what a small world 🙂 We’re looking forward to those crepes for sure!
We love glamping especially when it’s surrounded with fab things to do! You guys are going to have an epic adventure. Lots of cool things to explore and photograph especially the castle!
Thanks a ton – we’re so excited about it 🙂
Hey there, I’m heading out to Ladakh next month. Have consulted your blog posts on the subject 🙂 Looking forward to glamping at The Hermitage at Pangong!
That’s awesome Shipra. Have fun in Ladakh – it’s such a special place 🙂 Do send us photos from there
Such a beautiful place to visit and I bet you had an awesome experience there, It makes me want to go there too.
Hey Angela – Nantes does sound amazing. I’m looking forward to visiting soon 🙂
We’ve been talking about going glamping next year and this place looks so idyllic. I just looked at prices too and it’s really not bad. Adding this place to my list of possibilities 🙂
Louise x
It’s incredibly affordable for a glamping site Louise – looking forward to seeing what it has to offer 🙂
OMG that castle looks absolutely INCREDIBLE!! I would love to go there for a visit xxx
I was most excited on seeing photos of the castle as well Laura 🙂 Can’t wait to get there
Thia looks like an amazing place to stay!
Hope it’ll be fun – can’t wait to get there 🙂
Whooo 😀
I just moved nantes from paris and found your blog right here. Seems like I already know where should i go in summers. thank you guys 🙂
You’re welcome 🙂
Nice article, it helped us a lot to explore. I am an entrepreneur by profession and a traveler by heart. Your article made our stay exciting.