In the middle of a leafy glade we follow a winding path, the only sounds the soft padding of our footsteps, the crunch of a twig, the drip, drip dripping of rain from a leaf, the distant rumble of the river.
On either side, trees are linked by fairy lights and the air is engorged with the sweet scent of petrichor following yet another summer shower. Then, tucked around a corner in the heart of Galgorm Wood, a strange little low-level tubular house pops up out of nowhere - one of the new forest dens now open at the Galgorm Hotel and Spa resort near Ballymena.
Already a leading luxury resort with 125 guest rooms complemented by self-catering accommodation including 41 cottage suites, 16 shepherd huts and six log cabins, the new forest dens are something else entirely.
Part bohemian caravan, part modern gingerbread house, they blend seamlessly into the woody environment, their fairytale appeal enhanced by the setting: the forest, the path and fairy lights all lending a childlike enchantment to the scene.
Immediately outside on the deck sits a piano – yes, a real working piano – with old-fashioned stripy canvas deckchairs placed nearby. For an impromptu, outdoor performance, perhaps? An outdoor shower, private sauna, hot tub, wood-fired bath, hammock, barbecue and fire pit complete the facilities – some dens have more ‘extras’ than others – as well as a rather unusual ‘flower pot’ artistically created from cast iron bath overflowing with various types of greenery.
Inside, the stylish off-beat touches continue – a shiny chandelier hangs eccentrically from the ceiling and competes for attention with an elaborate, fringed lampshade, a brightly coloured chintz settee and several patterned mats scattered across a spotless floor.
Deliberately mismatched or co-ordinating, the quirky furnishings give off an air of thrown-together brilliance within the softly curved interior – no hard four-square corners here – while each den is angled away from its neighbour so inhabitants really can believe they are cocooned in their own little hideaway in the woods.
On the deck sits a piano – yes, a real working piano – with old-fashioned stripy canvas deckchairs placed nearby. An outdoor shower, private sauna, hot tub, wood-fired bath, hammock, barbecue and fire pit complete the facilities...
Perception is everything and in reality, of course, they aren’t far away at all – the dens are still close enough to the River Maine and the liveliness of Galgorm Resort Central, the hotel lobby just a short walk away – or drive, if you want to make use of the complimentary on-site transport.
And, in another novel move, this walk is being shortened further with the construction of a new rope bridge connecting the dens with the thermal spa village directly. Unfortunately, it was unfinished and out of bounds at the time of our visit, but it will doubtless add to the adventure element of the new accommodation, set in 40 acres of private forest and representing a £3 million investment for the award-winning resort.
Suitable for two guests, the dens each comprise one double bed, bathroom with en suite shower (signature Galgorm Cora products are provided), couch and kitchenette. The inside is small and compact, but the outside private area serves as a virtual extension to the living space – and comes with handy pull-out canopy roof shelter should the Northern Ireland weather take a turn for the worse.
At present, there are five one-bedroom dens and one forest den suite available for booking, with another suite due to be completed soon, along with two new two-bedroom dens for guests requiring extra space and sleeping quarters. All are dog-friendly for those who want to bring their pooch along for the fun.
As there were three of us on this short trip and only two-people dens currently available, we stayed in a deluxe family room inside the main hotel which overlooked the gardens. Not quite the back-to-nature glamping-type experience offered by the forest dens but, for us girls, it was perfect.
Entrance to the spa village was just a walk down the hotel corridor and Gillie’s restaurant – our dining option that evening - two floors down in the main building. No twigs crunching under foot, no call of the wild, no venturing out in the rain in high heels. Perfect.
And that, I think, is what the Galgorm does best – offering different kinds of stay-over experiences for different kinds of people with different kinds of wish lists. The forest dens suggest romance and adventure, but if you want to stay at the centre of everything - and under one roof - a cosy hotel room may be the favoured option.
Wherever you lay your head in the evening, sleep will come easily after an invigorating day spent swimming and strolling from hot tub to sauna to hot tub again in the sprawling spa village which this year picked up the award for Best Destination Spa at the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence 2024.
In addition to the extensive spa village, there is golf and tennis on-site, as well as clay pigeon shooting and falconry – and, in keeping with the connecting with nature theme, various hikes and walking trails close by.
But, one of our favourite things to do here is something so basic that you probably won’t have heard about it and maybe won’t even have seen it… a lazy swing on the old rope swing with wooden seat down by the waterfall. Sometimes, the simple pleasures in life really are the best.
