Where to camp among other newbie questions

[Ex_ollie]

Hello all 

 

This is my first bestival and as with all festivals, i like to be prepared for arrival day.

 

• Where would you recomend to camp? Can you choose a different entrance to come in through to be closer to said spot (we will be driving)  
• What is it like to get between campsite and area? I've only done those where camping and stages are in the same area for the last few years. 
• Drink  prices - what we talking ? 
• Regular top tip? 

 

Cheers Ya'll 

[Homer]

Depends when you're arriving. If it's Friday you may have to take what you can get.

 

10 minute walk at worst. It's not very noticeable when you go in though; checks are minimal and you rarely have to Q.

 

Typical festival I expect, though I've never bought a single bar drink at Besti (see above).

 

Pardon?

[Staff_Sav]

There are two car parks (red and yellow I think). Red is at the top of the hill of death, and takes you down to the red campsite. Left goes towards green campsite and closer to the arena, right goes to the other ones, straight on goes towards black campsite.

The other car park brings you in via the furthest point from the arena. It's a long walk but without the hill of death. The further you walk from the car, the closer to the arena you will be.

Personally I like Black campsite because it's a little bit off the main track (no need for people to be in black campsite unless they are camping there), and also it takes approximately the same time as drinking one can to get from halfway in black campsite to the arena entrance (more on this in a bit)

The campsite has a couple of stages (invaders of lost futures, wishing tree, Rum shack, and it had a reggae stage the other year, dunno if it's back. There are two entrances to the arena from the campsites where you aren't supposed to take your drink through. If you happen to be finishing a can of drink (because you walked from black) you can finish your drink in front of the security, put your can in the bin and let them watch you do it, and then walk through and they usually won't check you for your hidden stash of more booze. To be fair, they don't usually check bags anyway.

Drink prices about 4.50 for a can, 6 quid spirits and mixer (that's a guess) standard festival prices. I don't normally drink ale, but the Bestivale is very good, so get yourself a pint of that.

Other tips, do the toboggan run, it's really fun, go through the ambient forest at night. Get food and tea at the WI tent. Have fun!

[Slugworth]

I'll second the ambient forest at night. What a place!

 

My top tip: avoid the red camp site. Its looks like the apocolypse come Saturday morning.

[Staff_Sav]

Don't be stupid with your valuables either. As we all know, Tent robberies happen. Apparently a lot of lurkers literally robbing people soon after they set up their tents last year.

Also, do get involved with fancy dress (even though the theme isn't very demanding for creativity)

I like Black campsite

[Bisque]

I'll second the ambient forest at night. What a place!

I've not done this before so am going to take my camera one evening & get some nice pics.

[Ex_ollie]

Thanks for the replies guys! 

 

Im coming down with someone who is camping the boutique bit with their own campsite so will be making my way from their to the nearest entrance. 

 

Very keen to get involved with the fancy dress but I am a little skint so going to have to beg borrow and politely steal 

[Staff_Sav]

Thanks for the replies guys!

Im coming down with someone who is camping the boutique bit with their own campsite so will be making my way from their to the nearest entrance.

Very keen to get involved with the fancy dress but I am a little skint so going to have to beg borrow and politely steal

It's an easy theme to get involved with. I think primark do a tie dye style tshirt, or rummage through the oxfam tent when you arrive and make an outfit up when you are here. (not as many charity outlets as Glastonbury so not as much choice, but it can be done)

[Homer]

Okay, so for the first time ever I'm going on Thursday (Underworld), and all my friends are coming down on Friday. My mate says that I should be able to get into Black camping but they won't; and that they will end up in White but that doesn't open until Friday morning!

 

 

Short of sleeping rough or moving our tent after one night, does anyone have any good suggestions?!

[smogo]

I'm not sure it's true that White doesn't open until Friday.

[Homer]

Well, I could always ask the stewards on arrival, I guess (or I could hack at my gonads with a rusty pair of plyers).

[Bisque]

Move the tent in the mornin when they've set up or go towards the back of black, might have to be by a hedgerow/fence though.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

In 2013 we pitched up in White campsite on the Thursday after a steward told us it was open & free to use, we were then told 2 hours later once we'd set up that this was incorrect & we had to move to another campsite. Meaning we had to put all the tents down, pack everything back up & move to a shittier spot in one of the busier fields despite being on site early on purpose to obtain a reasonable sized space without the hassle of over crowding anyone else.

So yeah, I wouldn't advise trying to set up in White on the Thursday unless the rules have changed.

[Homer]

Great - what a stupid system! I can;t be the only person who is arriving on a different day to other members of his party!

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Why don't you try pitching up in Pink towards the back? It'll be a long walk but I should imagine there will be space enough for your friends to join you or at least camp close by on the Friday morning.

[Zacko]

Yeah we had to move to pink in 2012 on the Friday morning/early afternoon due to some absolute w*nkers threatening to cut up our tent and it was fine, although we actually ended up being the very last tent in the field (as in, beyond us there was acres of empty space so we must have been the people camped furthest away haha).

[Homer]

Okay, ta guys!