Oaklands Glamping & Treehouse (Adults Only)

The busier our lives become, the more elaborate the ways glampers choose to relax. A ‘holiday’ is no longer a city break or kicking back on the beach; and nothing encapsulates the glamping phenomenon better than a treehouse. Once you’ve laid eyes on one it’s certainly hard to resist their allure. And at Oaklands Glamping & Treehouse in mid-Wales – a zero-hassle adult-only glampsite, designed by the husband and wife team of Shaphan and Abigail Davies – they’ve pulled off the feat of building a strikingly modern treehouse that’s as fascinating as it is luxurious.

Oaklands is about the most scenic setting imaginable and the south-facing ‘Heartwood’ treehouse is designed for couples, wanting to unleash their inner child. Inside, there’s a king-sized bed with Hypnos mattress and Egyptian cotton bedding, fully integrated kitchen, a beautiful walk-in rain shower and underfloor heating. The real treat, though, is a huge freestanding bath. Who'd have thought it – an enormous bath, designer toiletries and white fluffy towels, all in your own treehouse? Everywhere you turn there are detailed touches; like the bathroom mirror, handcrafted from driftwood collected on the beaches of North Wales.

At nighttime, the embrace of a huge oak tree (which has been incorporated into the decking) creates a magical atmosphere, while, on chillier evenings, the private wood fired hot tub will keep you warm. There’s little to disturb you in this remote hilltop setting, but bird song and the distant rush of the Banwy River below. And even though you're not technically in a tree, you're right up there among the leaves and branches, with buzzards and red kites circling above. It’s hard to imagine a more romantic place to watch the sun set.

The treehouse is breathtaking enough, but there’s fun to be had in Oaklands two safari tents, too, Bluebell and Foxglove (named after the site's resident flower species). Pulling back the tent flap, you may be surprised at just how comfortable it is. Sleeping up to four, each tent has every mod con you could imagine; at its heart there’s an all-singing, all-dancing kitchen (with a woodburning stove), plus a bedroom with king-sized bed, beautiful roll-top bath, and outdoor decking with a BBQ area. Deepest Africa this may not be, but the far-reaching views of the Welsh countryside – with a local steam train passing and plenty of wildlife – could be a million miles away.