Romany Ri Campsite

Romany Ri is a proper working Romani campsite just outside Exeter, and it's nothing like the manicured holiday parks scattered across Devon. This is the real deal - a place where Romani families have lived and worked for generations, and visitors get to experience that authentic lifestyle rather than some sanitised version of it.

You'll find traditional horse-drawn caravans, working horses, and people who know how to live close to the land. It's educational without feeling like a museum. Kids absolutely love the hands-on bits - meeting the horses, learning how traditional crafts work, understanding a way of life that's been largely invisible to most of us.

Allow a good half-day minimum, longer if you want to really absorb it. The pace here is deliberately slow, which either feels revelatory or a bit meandering depending on your temperament. History buffs and anyone interested in Romani culture will find it compelling; if you're after theme park thrills, look elsewhere.

It sits well with a wider Devon holiday. Sunsets & Marshmallows and Devon Heaven Hideaways are both within a few miles if you want glamping comfort, but Romany Ri offers something those places can't - genuine cultural connection rather than Instagram-worthy aesthetics.

Worth the drive from Exeter centre? Yes, if you're curious. Skip it if you need constant entertainment.