Ever thought about trying glamping with your family, friends or significant other? Then read this review of weekend of glamping in Waterford at the Comeragh Pods.
As a family that loves the outdoors and camping but find Autumn and Winter a bit cold to get our tent out, we were delighted to discover this new glamping site in Co. Waterford, right next to the greenway.
First Impressions
Nestled within the surrounds of the Comeragh Mountains, these glamping pods have the most stunning views of the Irish countryside.
While being out in nature, the area also very close to a range of amenities such as bars, coffee shops, Waterford city, and the seaside town of Dungarvan.
When we first arrived at the site, we received a warm from their son. We were shown the facilities and given the key to our pod. He recommended lots of restaurants and things to do in the area which was greatly appreciated.
Later we met Tracy and Padraig, who were so friendly and went out of their way to make us feel welcome. They dropped up the smore making kit that we had ordered and showed us how to use the gas firepit.
They also informed us that their hot tub, which was only delivered that day, was up and running and we were welcome to be the first to use it, yay!!!
We experienced a variety of weather conditions while we were there, from sunshine to wind to full on torrential rain, and I can happily safe that the pods were cost, comfy and fab during all of this.
When the sun was shining, we enjoyed sitting out on the veranda of the communal area or on one of the picnic benches while Lily played football.
When it was windy and raining, there was nothing nicer than sitting in our cosy pod with a glass of wine and looking out at mother nature.
In the evening time we sat on the veranda of the communal area again, wrapped in the blankets provided, and toasted marshmallows over the gas firepit.
Things to do in the area
Waterford Greenway
You can choose to bring your own bikes, just walk, or avail of bike hire from Waterford Greenway Bike Hire. Please note that they are not currently running their shuttle service (we discovered this after we cycled 24 km and had to get my mam to collect us🤣🤣). Bike hire costs are as follows: €25 per adult bike and €10 per child bike per day. The little baby cart at the back is free. They also provide helmets free of charge.
I would recommend, if you have small kids, starting your journey at Durrow. This way you can cycle through the incredible tunnel and see the stunning views as you cycle into Dungarvan. Here you can check out the amazing food on offer.
In Dungarvan would recommend eating at:
Places I would recommend stopping for a bite to eat along the greenway are:
Both are absolutely fab and well worth checking out!!
Crough Woods
You can have a leisurely stroll through the woods, spotting the different types of trees, leaves and plants. If you have small kids, why not bring little Ziplock bags with you and set them a nature hunt challenge. You can print something online or use a pen and paper to write up what they need to find. e.g. - pine cone, mushroom, berry etc.
You can stop for a picnic in the woods and if you're feeling energetic, you can continue all the way up to Mahon Falls. Check out the All Trails website for more information on this trail.
Make sure to stop in Crough coffee for a delicious cup of 3fe coffee!!!
Mahon Falls
Mahon falls is an 80 metre waterfall set in the Comeragh mountains. It's a really easy and family friendly walk to the waterfall with a gravel path the whole way. You could bring a buggy but just as you get to the waterfall there's a small river to cross so you would have to carry the buggy here. I'd recommend using a baby carrier for ease. We love to pack a little picnic too and a flask of hot chocolate to enjoy at the waterfall.
Coumshigaun Lake
This is definitely a more challenging hike than Mahon falls, but absolutely worth it for the views you will be rewarded with! We walked to the lake and back with Lily (7 at the time) and the pug, so it is definitely doable. You can walk the entire loop of the lake too, which is longer and more of a challenge if you're up to it.
Again, you can find details on this hike on All Trails.
Dunmore east
A quaint fishing village just outside of Waterford city, you will find an abundance of things to do here. From delicious food to cliff walks, beaches and coves, to adventure sports at dunmore adventure, it's definitely worth the visit!
Tramore
Another seaside town in Waterford with loads to do. In the summer and Easter holidays they have an amusement park, which is really good! There's also arcades open year-round, a swimming pool with slides - Splash World, and plenty of chippers around to get your fish and chips.
Dungarvan
One end of the Greenway, Dungarvan is a harbor town knows for its great food. Make sure to take a look at some of the food suggestions above. It's a really nice place to take a stroll along the harbour, and also take a drive out to Clonea stand.
What to pack
As all of the required facilities were there, we didn't need to go overboard with the packing.
We had our usual suitcase with clothes, walking gear and swimwear. As the pods were warm and cosy, we didn't need extra warm clothes for at night.
Blankets are provided in the communal area too for sitting out by the fire, which was a lovely touch.
Tea and coffee facilities are provided. We ordered the breakfast hamper for our first morning and it fed the 4 of us for 2 days. There was so much there (check out my highlights on Instagram).
We always bring a few games/toys with us when camping so that we can avoid tv and screens as much as possible. We picked up a few cheap games and toys from deals and also brough cards, uno and a football. There was also plenty of family games and books provided for use at the communal area, which was a really nice touch!!
Drink - bring beer and wine, are you even glamping if you don't take the obligatory cheers photo with your vino in the hot tub??
We cooked a chili in the slow cooker on Thursday night and brought that with us for the first night with microwaveable rice. It was the perfect thing for our first night and meant we didn't need to worry about takeout etc. The second day we had dinner in Dungarvan so just munched away on cheese and crackers for the evening back at the pod. Otherwise we brought microwave popcorn, some fizzy drinks and crisps and jellies for Lily 😊
Some of the things we brought with us to make the staycation more comfortable were:
These lightweight and small travel cots are the business. We bring ours everywhere with us, they are light and easy to carry, can be put up and folded down in seconds, and will fit into smaller spaces such as glamping pods and tents.
This has to be the holy grail of baby equipment!! We would absolutely lost without this, especially as Kai can't have any of the pre-made formula cartons due to his allergies.
So, you get a grey flask, which keeps your water hot for hours!!! Then you have your white flask which glows orange when it is too hot for the baby to drink. You add your hot water and your scoops of formula and shake it until the light turns green (Usually 1-2 minutes).
Green means it's cool enough for the baby to drink....and that's it!!
No more running into a restaurant to ask for hot water that you then need to try and cool which baby is getting cranky!
Another lifesaver when travelling! If you're staying in an air bnb or some kind of campsite, it's very unlikely that you will be provided with a highchair. This folds up small and light and can be clipped onto almost any chair.
A great way to contain baby/toddler while you eat, and also a way to feed them at the table when they are too small to sit on a chair by themselves!
The best baby carrier there is!! We use ours all the time, it took us all over Italy and was the perfect thing to have when we were walking around Dungarvan after cycling the greenway as we didn't have the buggy! Great when going on hikes or the woods etc. You can wear baby at your front facing in (can be worn from newborn), at your front facing out or on your back!
Since we've discovered packing cubes, we wouldn't be without them! Especially when you're going camping or glamping, you have limited space for storage, so you want to condense your stuff into as small a space as possible. You honestly won't believe how much stuff you can roll up into a packing cube!!
*Note - Amazon links are affiliated links
The Final Score
So that's my review on The Comeragh Pods, Waterford!! I would highly recommend this place for families, couples, girls/lads' getaway, you name it!! 🥂
We're already looking forward to returning with my parents in the near future!
Make sure to subscribe to my blog to be kept in the loop and check out my Instagram @bringthekidstravel for videos and more pictures of the pods!
Have you ever been glamping before?? Let me know in the comments :)