Cabin on a Campsite

After Jakobstad we were about to tour a few more days with mainly outdoorsy destinations in our mind, so when the weather forecast gave us a 3 more rainy days we didn’t feel like staying in a tent anymore. With 54e/night we booked into a simple family hut on Manso camping in Ikaalinen, about 40-50kms west of Tampere. I’d say it was a fairly typical cabin for a campsite in Finland.

The staff at Manso Camping was welcoming and helpful. The hut had a great view, running cold water, plates, cutlery and pots, two hot plates, a micro, a coffee maker and a fridge in the kitchenette, kitchen table and a double bed in the “lounge” and a bunk bed separated by a door. The beds had pillows and duvets but please bring your own linen. The hut was old but clean and tidy, as was the porch with another table and chairs as well as a barbecue. As it was a simple hut, we obviously could also use the common campsite facilities, fire places, kitchen shelters, trampoline, jumping castle, kids climbing frames and showers. The showers could be up done in my opinion but as we stayed in Manso mainly to be able to visit the local spa, we weren’t too worried.

• To find my other campsite reviews from this trip please check out Heinäsaari camping in Heinola, Kiviniemi camping in Kangasniemi and Metsäranta camping west of Jyväskylä.
• Our 9 day roadtrip through the lake district to the northern west coast also created posts about the facilities of the ABC stations found everywhere, an adorable animal farm in Lievestuore, suggestions on what families can do low cost in Jyväskylä, a peek into the small town of Keuruu and an introduction of the lovely wooden suburb of Skata in Jakobstad.

 In Short Costly Family Destinations in/around Ikaalinen

The spa Ikaalisten kylpylä was great fun with whirlpools, water slides etc for 37e/ family. It wasn’t a huge spa but even though the building seemed old, the spa area was fresh and newly renovated inside. The signage was extremely poor though, but when we finally found our way to the spa inside of the hotel complex, it was worth it. At the spa we realised there was another camping area right next to it too…. One can also combine the spa with a visit to the House of Titi-nalle (children’s programme), which Helsinkimom has blogged about. We skipped it but drove instead a bit further to the to the house of Mr Hakkarainen (Character in children’s books) in Vammala, which cost 7-8e/person to enter.

In the house of the sleep walking goat Herra Hakkarainen there was a lot of activities for children, like a kitchen, a shop with old fashioned scales and play food, a space shuttle and even a drawing area, so quite a nice change to all fun park rides. Our kids loved it but I found the house very cramped. Good to visit once, not too sure if I need to go there another time (but if you ask the kids, we will go back).

Tags: cabins on Finnish campsites, Camping in Finland, camping in Ikaalinen, cheap accommodation, Herra Hakkaraisen talo, Ikaalinen spa, Ikaalisten kylpylä, Manso camping, roadtrip in Finland, the house of Mr Hakkarainen