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5 Best Parkdean Resorts With Glamping
**Parkdean Resorts offers: Caravan holidays from £99**
Glamping is currently available at nine of the 66 Parkdean Resorts in the UK.
We've picked out Parkdean's five best glamping resorts and done a quick price comparison to find out which is best value.
The idea of glamping is that you get the outdoorsy feeling of camping without the less appealing aspects, such as endless crouching and sleeping on a roll mat. (Yes, I know you can get all sorts of fancy camping beds but we all know that a proper mattress is far superior).
Our choices for glamping include Parkdean Resorts in Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Norfolk and on the Isle of Wight.
We've picked out Parkdean's five best glamping resorts and done a quick price comparison to find out which is best value.
The idea of glamping is that you get the outdoorsy feeling of camping without the less appealing aspects, such as endless crouching and sleeping on a roll mat. (Yes, I know you can get all sorts of fancy camping beds but we all know that a proper mattress is far superior).
Our choices for glamping include Parkdean Resorts in Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Norfolk and on the Isle of Wight.
1. Safari tents at Parkdean Resorts Nodes Point Holiday Park, Isle of Wight (beachside, indoor swimming pool, shared bathrooms)
**Winner: Parkdean Resorts' best value glamping**
Three of Parkdean Resorts' four Isle of Wight holiday parks offer glamping. We reckon Nodes Point in St Helens just about beats Thorness Bay Holiday Park near Cowes and Lower Hyde Holiday Park in Shanklin.
Nodes Point leads directly onto a large dog-friendly beach called St Helens. It isn't the sandiest beach on the Island, but it has plenty of space to lark around and has somewhere you can buy an ice cream. You can reach a sandy beach called Priory Bay on foot at low tide or drive to Sandown and Shanklin in 15 minutes.
There are about 30 glamping tents in the Safari Village, which is well located and only 350 metres from the beach. It takes about five minutes to walk to the beach, and somewhat longer to walk back up the hill with tired children.
The indoor swimming pool at Nodes Point is mid-sized by Parkdean's standards. We used it a lot when we stayed at the resort. There's a four lane slide and it isn't particularly deep so our children (aged 7 and 11 at the time) could stand up in the whole pool.
Nodes Point also has a modern amusement arcade, a restaurant, an onsite shop, a playground and a sports court. There's a nice big field close to the beach where children can kick a ball around. Inevitably, they will make best buddies with someone who is leaving the next day and end up in tears...
Customer reviews for Parkdean Resorts average 4/5. It is on a par with Lower Hyde Holiday Park on reviews, but slightly ahead of Thorness Bay Holiday Park.
The main downside with all of Parkdean's glamping facilities on the Isle of Wight is that none of them have private toilets or showers. You will need to use the shared shower blocks for campers. That's the case whether you stay at Nodes Point, Lower Hyde or Thorness Bay.
Parkdean Resorts has a good deal where you get a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry. The exact price varies but in our experience you tend to get about 50-70% off the standard Wightlink fares. That's not a guaranteed discount, just what we've found! Expect to pay about £60 - £140 return for a car and passengers with the discount.
Price: £799 for a week in a Colwell Safari tent for a family of four in August 2025. That is the more basic of the two types of safari tent available at Nodes Point.
Nodes Point leads directly onto a large dog-friendly beach called St Helens. It isn't the sandiest beach on the Island, but it has plenty of space to lark around and has somewhere you can buy an ice cream. You can reach a sandy beach called Priory Bay on foot at low tide or drive to Sandown and Shanklin in 15 minutes.
There are about 30 glamping tents in the Safari Village, which is well located and only 350 metres from the beach. It takes about five minutes to walk to the beach, and somewhat longer to walk back up the hill with tired children.
The indoor swimming pool at Nodes Point is mid-sized by Parkdean's standards. We used it a lot when we stayed at the resort. There's a four lane slide and it isn't particularly deep so our children (aged 7 and 11 at the time) could stand up in the whole pool.
Nodes Point also has a modern amusement arcade, a restaurant, an onsite shop, a playground and a sports court. There's a nice big field close to the beach where children can kick a ball around. Inevitably, they will make best buddies with someone who is leaving the next day and end up in tears...
Customer reviews for Parkdean Resorts average 4/5. It is on a par with Lower Hyde Holiday Park on reviews, but slightly ahead of Thorness Bay Holiday Park.
The main downside with all of Parkdean's glamping facilities on the Isle of Wight is that none of them have private toilets or showers. You will need to use the shared shower blocks for campers. That's the case whether you stay at Nodes Point, Lower Hyde or Thorness Bay.
Parkdean Resorts has a good deal where you get a big discount on the Isle of Wight ferry. The exact price varies but in our experience you tend to get about 50-70% off the standard Wightlink fares. That's not a guaranteed discount, just what we've found! Expect to pay about £60 - £140 return for a car and passengers with the discount.
Price: £799 for a week in a Colwell Safari tent for a family of four in August 2025. That is the more basic of the two types of safari tent available at Nodes Point.
Nodes Point has a large glamping area, but you don't get private toilets
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It's near a decent beach and you can sign up for horse riding from Nodes Point
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2. Safari tents at Parkdean Resorts Ruda Holiday Park, Devon (great beach location, shared bathrooms)
Ruda Holiday Park is our go-to Parkdean Resorts in Devon - and it's also the only one in the county offering glamping.
They've got about 20 safari tents at Ruda, all of which come with cooking facilities, fridges and somewhere to charge your phone.
Some of them are also classed as Safari+ tents. In the case of glamping at Ruda, that means that you get your own toilet and sink, although you still need to use shared shower facilities.
You also get an electric heater, and something called 'chandelier lighting'. I must admit that's not the first thing I look for at a glamping site but I guess it will add a bit of class to the Instagram photos.
Ruda's biggest plus point is that it is right next to Croyde Beach. The glamping tents are particularly close to the path down to the beach and some of them have a decent sea view.
The range of onsite facilities at Ruda is relatively modest, but it has one of Parkdean's better indoor swimming pools (with a slide), kids entertainment, soft play, a playground and a resort restaurant.
Ruda Holiday Park gets reviews of 4/5 from customers. That puts it in somewhere in the middle of customer rankings of every Parkdean Holiday park.
Price: £999 for a week's holiday in August 2025, staying in a 'Barnstable' safari tent in the Ruda glamping village
They've got about 20 safari tents at Ruda, all of which come with cooking facilities, fridges and somewhere to charge your phone.
Some of them are also classed as Safari+ tents. In the case of glamping at Ruda, that means that you get your own toilet and sink, although you still need to use shared shower facilities.
You also get an electric heater, and something called 'chandelier lighting'. I must admit that's not the first thing I look for at a glamping site but I guess it will add a bit of class to the Instagram photos.
Ruda's biggest plus point is that it is right next to Croyde Beach. The glamping tents are particularly close to the path down to the beach and some of them have a decent sea view.
The range of onsite facilities at Ruda is relatively modest, but it has one of Parkdean's better indoor swimming pools (with a slide), kids entertainment, soft play, a playground and a resort restaurant.
Ruda Holiday Park gets reviews of 4/5 from customers. That puts it in somewhere in the middle of customer rankings of every Parkdean Holiday park.
Price: £999 for a week's holiday in August 2025, staying in a 'Barnstable' safari tent in the Ruda glamping village
Ruda Holiday Park has about 20 safari tents and some have private toilets
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There's a decent swimming pool at Ruda, as well as an outstanding beach nearby
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3. Safari tents at Parkdean Resorts Holywell Bay Holiday Park, Cornwall (beachside location, shared bathrooms, outdoor pool)
There are two Parkdean Resorts in Cornwall that offer glamping - Holywell Bay Holiday Park and Newquay Holiday Park. Both introduced glamping in 2022.
There are a few notable differences between the two that may well sway it for you. I've plumped for Holywell Bay but I won't hold it against you if you go for Newquay Holiday Park.
Holywell Bay gets the better reviews of the two and it is much closer to a beach. You can get from the resort to the beach in about 10 minutes on foot.
Meanwhile, Newquay Holiday Park is a couple of miles from the nearest beach so you'll be getting in the car and then looking for a parking space. That makes evening strolls to the beach much less simple.
At this point you may be wondering why Newquay Holiday Park is even a contender.
The reason is that Newquay Holiday Park's glamping area has the major advantage of offering private bathrooms with its 12 safari tents. At Holywell Bay Holiday Park there are just five glamping tents and you have to share toilet and shower facilities.
The question then is would you rather be near a beach or near a toilet? I vote for easy beach access, but Mrs Guru would definitely go for the private toilet.
Price: £1079 for a family of four staying for a week in a 'Rose' safari tent at Holywell in August 2025.
There are a few notable differences between the two that may well sway it for you. I've plumped for Holywell Bay but I won't hold it against you if you go for Newquay Holiday Park.
Holywell Bay gets the better reviews of the two and it is much closer to a beach. You can get from the resort to the beach in about 10 minutes on foot.
Meanwhile, Newquay Holiday Park is a couple of miles from the nearest beach so you'll be getting in the car and then looking for a parking space. That makes evening strolls to the beach much less simple.
At this point you may be wondering why Newquay Holiday Park is even a contender.
The reason is that Newquay Holiday Park's glamping area has the major advantage of offering private bathrooms with its 12 safari tents. At Holywell Bay Holiday Park there are just five glamping tents and you have to share toilet and shower facilities.
The question then is would you rather be near a beach or near a toilet? I vote for easy beach access, but Mrs Guru would definitely go for the private toilet.
Price: £1079 for a family of four staying for a week in a 'Rose' safari tent at Holywell in August 2025.
Holywell Bay Holiday Park has a small number of safari tents...
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...as well as a popular outdoor swimming pool (but no indoor pool)
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4. Safari tents at West Bay Holiday Park, Dorset (near a scenic beach, private bathrooms, indoor swimming pool)
Parkdean Resorts has two parks in Dorset that offer glamping. Sandford and West Bay both offer the big bonus of private toilets/bathrooms. There are about a dozen safari tents at both resorts and they are the 'plus' grade, which gives you better kitchen facilities. Sandford refers to its glamping area as the 'Durdle glamping village'.
Personally, I would plump for West Bay Holiday Park. It ranks higher with customers than Parkdean's Sandford Holiday Park and it has a better location and easier beach access.
West Bay is about 8-10 minutes walk to a terrific beach, near to the massive great cliffs where ITV's Broadchurch was filmed a few years ago. Meanwhile, Sandford Holiday Park is near Poole and is about 20 minutes drive to a beach.
West Bay is mid-range in terms of its facilities. There are activities for kids in the main entertainment area, as well as a swimming pool where you can sign up for free standard sessions or pay extra for things like pool parties and kayaking. There's a restaurant onsite, as well as soft play and various arts and crafts things you can cough up extra for.
Price: £1139 for a week's holiday in an 'Oyster' safari tent in August 2025.
Personally, I would plump for West Bay Holiday Park. It ranks higher with customers than Parkdean's Sandford Holiday Park and it has a better location and easier beach access.
West Bay is about 8-10 minutes walk to a terrific beach, near to the massive great cliffs where ITV's Broadchurch was filmed a few years ago. Meanwhile, Sandford Holiday Park is near Poole and is about 20 minutes drive to a beach.
West Bay is mid-range in terms of its facilities. There are activities for kids in the main entertainment area, as well as a swimming pool where you can sign up for free standard sessions or pay extra for things like pool parties and kayaking. There's a restaurant onsite, as well as soft play and various arts and crafts things you can cough up extra for.
Price: £1139 for a week's holiday in an 'Oyster' safari tent in August 2025.
West Bay is one of the few Parkdean glamping villages with private bathrooms for guests
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It's not far to West Bay, which is one of my favourite beaches in England
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5. Glamping pods at Parkdean Resorts Vauxhall Holiday Park, Norfolk (5 minute drive to beach, good swimming pool)
Finally, a mention for the glamping pods at Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth. As you'll have gathered, these are somewhat smaller than a safari tent but they are good fun and are well built.
You don't get a toilet but you do get a double bed and sofa bed to sleep on, as well as basic cooking facilities, a fridge and a TV. You can theoretically sleep four people in one of these, although I would caution that it will be a fairly cosy experience and you might have the occasional falling out...
Vauxhall Holiday Park has a better-than-average indoor swimming pool called the Tropical Waterworld. There's also an outdoor pool with splash-park style things that will dump water on your head. You can use the decent playground, large restaurant, soft play and mini golf.
The resort is a little way from the seafront in Great Yarmouth. You can do it about five minutes in the car, or walk in about half an hour if you are really determined.
Vauxhall Holiday Park scores 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor and 4/5 on Google reviews. That gives it a position of 48th out of 66 in our ranking of every Parkdean Resorts based on customer reviews.
Price: £679 for a family of four, staying in a Hummingbird glamping pod for a week in August 2025.
You don't get a toilet but you do get a double bed and sofa bed to sleep on, as well as basic cooking facilities, a fridge and a TV. You can theoretically sleep four people in one of these, although I would caution that it will be a fairly cosy experience and you might have the occasional falling out...
Vauxhall Holiday Park has a better-than-average indoor swimming pool called the Tropical Waterworld. There's also an outdoor pool with splash-park style things that will dump water on your head. You can use the decent playground, large restaurant, soft play and mini golf.
The resort is a little way from the seafront in Great Yarmouth. You can do it about five minutes in the car, or walk in about half an hour if you are really determined.
Vauxhall Holiday Park scores 3.5/5 on TripAdvisor and 4/5 on Google reviews. That gives it a position of 48th out of 66 in our ranking of every Parkdean Resorts based on customer reviews.
Price: £679 for a family of four, staying in a Hummingbird glamping pod for a week in August 2025.
Vauxhall Holiday Park has one of Parkdean Resorts' bigger indoor swimming pools
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The glamping pods are cosier than safari tents, but they can sleep four people
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How does Parkdean glamping compare on price?
Generally, glamping at a big holiday park like Parkdean costs about the same as one of their cheaper caravans. There are lots of exceptions to that, but that's my rule of thumb.
For a quick price comparison, we looked for the cheapest glamping accommodation at Parkdean Resorts for a week in August 2025 and then ranked them from cheapest to most expensive.
For a quick price comparison, we looked for the cheapest glamping accommodation at Parkdean Resorts for a week in August 2025 and then ranked them from cheapest to most expensive.
- Glamping pod at Vauxhall Holiday Park - £679
- Safari tent at Nodes Point Holiday Park on the Isle of Wight - £799
- Safari tent at Ruda Holiday Park in Devon - £999
- Safari tent at Holywell Bay Holiday Park - £1079
- Safari tent at West Bay Holiday Park - £1139
