Review: Camping with Kids at the Big Red Tent

The husband and I have successfully completed 6 lovely years of the shaadi and ofcourse it calls for celebrations. To surprise him and ensure the family has a great holiday and a different experience the mom who is always on the hunt found this really cool camping place. If you remember we did post about them earlier during Christmas . We couldnt make it then but the weekend that went by was a lot of fun and trust me its extremely child friendly.

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So getting there from Mumbai is fairly simple. Its near Khapoli and you must try and get there by 3 – 4 p.m. We then got a great site for us by the lake where we pitched our tents. You could always ask them to help you if you are no expert like most of us. We left our bags in the tents, which are quite safe and literally the folks are so good that except food you can leave stuff around. the food may be tempting only for the wild dogs. So beware! Heading straight to the lake which is all of 3 minutes walk we sat and had a little afternoon tea party by the lake and chose some solid rocks to sit on vs. some pretty cushioned seats. The 3 minute walk is a little uneven but the kids can do it way better than us. Hitting the hammocks soon after the kids played on the large plain in the centre with balls & Frisbee and darn it was fun. make sure you head there in a group of atleast 3 – 4 couples with kids else it might get a little too lonely. The kids played till sunset and we headed towards our tent where they were extremely excited to be just going in and out and having a secret house of their own. We take a few board games for us and BINGO and others for the kids. They loved it!!!

Heading straight for the barbeque at 8.30 on offer  were some grilled mushrooms, paneer, potatoes, capsicum and some roasted sweet potatoes and corn on cob with garlic butter. The daughter was super excited to see how it was being cooked and wondered why we use the gas at home. You owe them an explanation here. After she had tried and tasted all of the tandoor stuff we headed for some Dal & rice which again was extremely child friendly and not spicy but just right. For all the non veggies there are lots of barbeque options for you too. Dining under a star filled sky was a different experience. we then moved to the centre of the site where there was a bornfire and all the campers circled around it. We sang, chatted, tried lighting the fire again and again and after some fun headed back to our site. While all of us played our games the kids were busy with theirs and soon crashed into their sleeping bags which were very very comfortable. Yes the parents were happy and made merry till the wee hours of morning only to go trekking at 7 am the next morning. Okay for all the ones who dont want to its optional. Breakfast included some chai, coffee, egg burji and misal pav with bread, butter & some jam.

The kids finished their breakfast and refuse to head back but we soon did. Here are a few things that the moms will be interested in knowing so have penned them as FAQ’s

1. Are the loos clean? Yes very. I wasn’t hesitant to make her use it at all. Its a proper western style pot with jet sprays, liquid soap, toilet rolls and well lit

2. Are their mosquitoes: Only at dusk. Do carry the Odomos Spray. However we did not see any or were not bitten by any. We were actually quite surprised to see no mosquitoes at all.

3. Things to carry: Toileteries, a napkin, some SOS medicines for kids, Odomos spray, wet wipes, sanitizer, ball, Frisbee, board games to entertain them, hats, caps, sunglasses, an extra pair of clothing incase they dirty themselves too much, crocs, and literally nothing more.

4. Age of child: We had a mixed group from a 12 month old to a 24 month old, to a 3 year old and a 5 year old. So go ahead and make the kids enjoy.

5. Are maids allowed: Not sure if you really need them but if you wish to please check with the team at Big Red tent.

6. Food: Except snacks like sandwhiches, some fruits, cheese slices, tetra pack of milk, or Danone chocolate smoothies and nibbles dont even bother for dinner & breakfast unless you have a real fussy eater at hand.

Moms please do not overpack!!! I would also like to add that unlike a lot of places I have stayed the pictures are real and is exactly what you will see on site. Thank god for that!

Its an easy drive and trust me the Big Red Tent delivers on just what they’ve promised so head on and do call them. Its a must do with your kids while the weather is still good. Click here to visit their website and don’t forget to  mention Kids Stop Press. They might be generous and start offering some exclusives top our readers. Rahil you listening 🙂