Questions and Answers...
Tipi Adventure is a unique experience in the UK so you can be forgiven in having loads of questions. Hopefully, these will cover most of them.
Upon booking you will be sent all the appropriate details including directions and details of what to bring in a confirmation pack.
Generally other than spare clothes and your own food and drink the answer is very little. We see it as our job to provide the things you need and make your adventure a comfortable and memorable one.
Tipi site drinking water is provided. There is enough for drinking, washing up and having a wash. Although we provide water at your Tipi site, we do highly recommend that you bring bottled water with you for your canoe adventure to prevent dehydration.
Because we provide almost all you need you can leave all of the conventional camping clutter at home! Any personal effects and valuables you will need to take with on the river including any snacks, lunch or drink while paddling on the river your first day. When you first arrive we'll provide you with cool boxes and frozen blocks. Fill up the cool boxes with your remaining food and drink, along with any additional luggage and you will find them waiting for you in your tipi upon your arrival! We will even collect any remaining items from your tipi and transfer it either to your next Tipi site or, back to the start.
You will be greeted by a member of our staff at a farm just outside Hereford. You will be provided with all the canoeing equipment you need for your adventure. After a safety brief you will be taken to your start point (your car remains parked as we escort you to the river) before you enjoy paddling down the River Wye. You will be given a detailed map of the river showing the location of your tipi.
We offer a variety of options that cater for groups of different abilities. All our options cater for families that want to "enjoy the river" rather than "endure the river" The minimum estimated paddling time is 2 hours and maximum estimated paddling time for the longest day is approximately 7 hours.
You won't have to read any instructions, wrestle with a tent bag or bang in any tent pegs! Your tipi will be set up and all ready for you.
Each tipi has a natural matting floor, sheepskin rugs, futon sofas (that become beds with extra thick mattresses), sleeping bags & liners, pillows, a fire pit, a kitchen area with all crockery & cooking utensils provided, a light, cool box, BBQ & BBQ coals and lighting equipment.
An outside fire pit for each tipi, a wooden table, a loo, drinking water, firewood and acres of peaceful riverside pasture.
You will not find any sign of electricity, generators, other tents or fellow campers with cars etc. This is a remote, spectacular yet comfortable adventure experience.
BBQ (BBQ coals provided of course) in or outside the tipi.
There is also a small portable gas stove provided.
We provide mugs, cups, cutlery, plates & bowls, kitchen utensils, a frying pan, pots and a kettle.
As we will provide you with cool boxes and ice packs, you really can take anything you want! BBQ food is the preferred option for most Tipi groups; however, dry foods are also absolutely fine. We don't provide tea, coffee, sugar, milk or cooking oil so you may want to consider these.
We provide fully serviced portable loo's down at our Tipi sites. Each loo has a hand sink, hand towel, loo paper and soap. Although this is a back to basics adventure, we do not expect you to go in the bushes!
Certainly not, this is an exclusive experience! All our tipi sites are at least 4 acres or much more, yet we allow only very few tipis on each site typically only 2 or 3 tipis. Some families join together to book as one group thereby securing a whole tipi site to themselves. The tipis are fairly well spread apart.
We will have fully serviced your tipi just before you arrive including changing any bedding ensuring all sleeping bag liners and pillow slips are machine washed beforehand.
Close to the finish on your last day you should call us from a mobile telephone and we'll pick you up and take you back to your car.
All our canoes are "open boats" i.e. the traditional Canadian canoes. Canadian Canoe hire is an established summertime family activity on the river Wye. On the stretch of river we use it is generally calm water although the river does naturally flow quicker in certain parts. Beginners are very welcome. Everyone receives fitted buoyancy aids and a safety brief which includes a dry land capsize drill. However, if you are still uncertain on your ability to handle a canoe why not receive a 3 hours of instruction from one of our qualified instructors at Forest Adventure.
See www.forestadventure.co.uk.
For certain (short trips only) we can tie canoes side by side (rafted together) to give you extra stability and peace of mind. However, our preference, as shown during our safety brief, is to encourage you to learn to enjoy the canoe the way it was designed to be paddled! If however, you feel you are likely to require you canoe to be rafted together please state this at the time of booking.
Our staff take the river levels on a daily basis to ensure the river remains at a safe level for families and groups. If, at any point, we feel conditions are too challenging for our customers we will refrain from putting people on the river. In such circumstances, we will refund the cost of the canoe hire with the option of either walking or being driven to your tipi. Should the river be near flood and the Tipis be considered not safe to use, we will also refund the Tipi hire costs or offer you an alternative date.
No problem as we provide highly visible buoyancy aids for everyone and "dry bags" for items such as spare clothes and valuables. You will be shown in your safety brief how to react to such an occurrence.
Our canoes are approximately 17' long and are designed to accommodate two people, although with an extra seat placed in the middle they can take up to a maximum of three adults fairly comfortably or two adults and two small children. .
Our tipis are designed to stand inclement conditions, but if you are cold, wet or both we suggest you warm up by having a fire inside the tipi. (Wood, & fire lighters all supplied). River Levels are closely monitored by qualified members of staff. Should we feel at any point during your adventure that your safety is at risk, we will contact you immediately and remove you form the river. Generally, Tipis are designed to withstand most weather conditions, however, if, for whatever reason, we should evacuate you from your Tipi site, we will endeavor to help you find alternate accommodation (at your own cost) and will reimburse you accordingly.
Yes, provided this has been booked a "Rest Day" beforehand.
Stag & Hen parties are (Additional Terms & Conditions may be applied).
Sorry, no pets allowed
We currently operate this particular activity during the months April – September.
We usually require that children must be aged 4 or more to canoe but through our People Transfer option they may still participate in a Tipi Adventure.
Your adventure has been designed so we don't appear to be in the way of your family or group experience. Usually from start to finish you'll be left alone but we do provide an emergency contact number should the need arise.
Yes this is possible; it comes with a People Transfer charge of £25 per group (each way). For example, if members of your group can't join you until the evening, we can drive them down, with their canoes so they can continue the adventure with you the following day. It also means that groups with very young children or people that do not want to paddle, don't have to miss out on this great adventure!