IF YOU love the idea of sleeping under the stars but don't like the thought of roughing it in a tent then glamping could be perfect for you.
I am all for camping in countries with a guaranteed supply of sunshine and a limited chance of rain, but somehow Cornwall doesn't match that criteria.
For this reason when I spotted the 'glampod' I decided it was the perfect way to embrace the great outdoors.
The glampod is essentially a large canvas tent housed inside a giant biome, which is actually more like a greenhouse.
It is situated in a large private field at Mayrose Farm, at Helstone near Camelford.
When I arrived I was greeted by the owner who built the glampod and runs the holiday cottages that are also for rent on the site.
He walked us to our glampod through fields with lambs, cows and a big fat friendly pig.
The spot was perfect, we felt completely away from everything and everyone else.
The glampod was quite large with a covered lawn area and a beautiful selection of plants and palms.
Outside the glampod were deckchairs and a picnic table and chairs, which we used when the sun came out.
Inside the canvas tent was a double bed, with a fluffy duvet that was needed during the cold night that we stayed. There was also a bunk bed in an adjoining room that my partner's children slept in on the second night that we stayed.
In the living area there was a wood burning stove, a sink with running water and all the crockery and tableware you could need. The nicest part was lighting all the candles they had put out for us and sitting in front of the stove as the sun went down.
Within the glampod, but outside the tent, was a large shower that was solar powered and had lovely warm water.
We had only planned to stay one night but we knew the kids would love it, so we stayed on an extra evening and drove home to pick them up.
The farm animals were so tame and the lambs came running up to us for attention. There were also guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens and ducks which took a detour on their way to the pond to pay us a visit at our glampod.
I did wonder whether the kids would be bored as there was no television, computer or modern toys for them to play with. However there is a heated outdoor pool that we used and an entertainment room filled with books, games and DVDs. They were certainly not stuck for things to do.
Glamping was great as it took all of the pain out of camping, but kept the feeling that you were moving a bit closer to nature.
