Kip & Nook Review: Our escape to campervan comfort meets luxury living

Orange Campers Ltd
Oct 2
3 min read

Every so often, it’s good to remind ourselves what our campervans are really like to travel in – just us, no kids, no dog, no schedule.

This summer, we escaped to Kip & Nook, a luxury adults-only campsite just outside Darlington, to celebrate Sonya’s 50th. And what a treat it was!

We parked up our High Roof MWB on “The Nook” pitch — private, peaceful and complete with its own sunset-viewing platform and wood-fired hot tub. It felt like the perfect balance between wild camping and boutique luxury.

Watch our adventure at Kip & Nook in our YouTube video

First impressions

The weather greeted us with a good old Yorkshire-style downpour, but it didn’t spoil a thing. The joy of this site is that you can still enjoy everything, whatever the weather.

Our first night included a wood-fired sauna and cold plunge session (the “Karame Experience”), followed by wood-fired pizzas from the on-site restaurant. Usually, we love cooking in the 'van, but with the rain pouring down, it was bliss to just kick back, enjoy good food, and ease into relaxation mode.

Later, we slid straight into our private hot tub — not a bubbling jacuzzi, but more like a big, deep, wood-fired bath under the sky. With steam rising in the cool evening air and the 'van just a few steps away, it was the cosiest start to our trip.

Campervan comfort

Travelling in our Trouvaille Classique MWB High Roof campervan meant loads of space for just the two of us. No canvas to worry about in the rain, no beds to juggle — just cupboards sitting empty (a strange feeling without the kids’ gear!) and plenty of room to stretch out.

It was the perfect reminder of how comfortable the high roof option can be, especially for couples.

Richard was also in his element checking out the 'van’s solar and lithium battery performance.

Even with the fridge running and lights on, the batteries barely dropped thanks to the doubled-up solar panels. It’s always good to know you could happily stay off-grid here if you wanted to.

A sunny turn

By the second day, the clouds had cleared, and we woke to glorious sunshine. Sonya made the most of the hot tub with a book (and even squeezed in a bit of work from there — now that’s a proper office view!).

Richard tucked into a continental breakfast before we both headed out on a walk across the fields to Piercebridge.

The walk was beautiful (complete with an unexpected field of bulls to dodge!) and ended at a fantastic organic farm shop and café.

We tucked into local treats on the picnic benches, stocked up on goodies for the BBQ, and trekked back to camp ready for another evening of outdoor living.

BBQ nights and birthday treats

Back at the ‘van, cocktails in hand from the campsite bar, we fired up the Cadac for a BBQ. With chicken, lamb chops and potatoes sizzling away, the golden evening skies and private terrace made it one of those pinch-yourself moments.

On Sonya’s birthday, we kept things simple but special. Presents in bed with a cuppa, another walk around Kip & Nook’s wildflower-filled grounds, and then a celebratory fish curry cooked outdoors on the Cadac. We popped a bottle of champagne and enjoyed a birthday meal that had passers-by stopping to say how good it smelled!

Wellness, padel and winding down

Kip & Nook is more than just a campsite. Alongside the restaurant and bar, there’s a wellness space with yoga, workspaces upstairs, and padel courts (the new sport craze sweeping the UK).

We’d booked a session before leaving, and although Richard wasn’t feeling 100% by then, we still managed to try it out. We’ll be back for a proper game when we return.

Other facilities impressed us too — from the spotless showers (with double heads!) to the stylish cabins available if you’re not in a campervan. The whole site has a boutique, grown-up feel that makes it extra special.

Would we recommend?

Kip & Nook turned out to be the perfect mix of relaxation, campervan living, and little luxuries.

From saunas to sunsets, BBQs to birthday bubbles, it was exactly the break we needed — and a reminder of how brilliant our ‘vans are for getaways like this.

It is an adults-only site, which means we couldn’t bring the kids along to enjoy it this time. But for a couple’s escape? We couldn’t recommend it more.

If you’re after a slice of luxury camping — without losing that campervan spirit — Kip & Nook is well worth a spot on your list.

THOUGHTS FROM THE WORKSHOP