Review: 41700 Beach Glamping

 

Andrea, Stephanie, and Daniel enjoy vacationing directly on a the beach, but that doesn't mean they want to rough it. Their permanent campsite offers a comfortable way to connect with nature. 

Let's take a closer look at their campsite:


Beach Glamping features tent camping that includes electricity and a lavatory. Nearby paddle boards allow them to get out on the water, while the sandy beach is perfect for fishing or building sandcastles. Evenings spent toasting marshmallows over an open fire are the perfect end to a day of sun and surf.

Opening the box, we have three numbered bags of parts, two instruction books, and a bag with the tent fabric supported by a piece of cardboard. The small sticker sheet was placed inside the first instruction book, which kept it from getting bent. 



Bag one will be used with the first book of instructions. We will be building a paddle board rack, a beach-side bathroom, and a few other small accessories. We start with Andrea and Stephanie. 



Andrea wears a dark turquoise halter top with magenta stripes and dots, a magenta skirt, and dark blue sandals. This is not a new outfit. She wore the same top and skirt combination in set 41693 Surfer Beachfront (2021). The torso has also been used set 41390 Andrea's Car & Stage (2020) where it was paired with a different skirt. The magenta skirt has been worn in a total of five other sets. 

Stephanie is wearing a new bright pink knit hat over her bright light yellow wavy hair. This is a new piece for 2022, but she also wears it in set 41704 Main Street Building (2022). Her metallic light blue swimsuit top with diagonal stripes has been worn in four other sets and is usually paired with the same medium azure skirt and magenta shoes.

Andrea and Stephanie bring along a white puppy with black spots. It was new last year and has been included in just three other sets. 



The puppy has a small box to sleep in and a feeding station. The girls also bring along a radio so they can enjoy music and keep tabs on the weather forecast while camping. 



Next, we build a small rack for a couple of paddle boards. Both coral and bright light orange are new colors for the long surfboard. So far they are exclusive to this set. This side build is small but has room for everything they need, including paddles and lifejackets. 



I appreciate the inclusion of lavatories in Friends sets, and what could make camping more comfortable than modern toilet facilities? 

Let's take a quick peek inside before it's all closed in. This is not a primitive privy. The toilet uses a clam shell for a fun, beachy style. There's even a sink and mirror (created with a sticker). Stickers are also used for the floor both inside the loo and around the side where the shower will be. It seems to be a smooth shell and pebble surface to get your feet out of the sand, but still let water drain away. 



To screen you from view when nature calls, the beach loo uses two 1 x 2 x 3 shutters in dark turquoise. This was a new color last year in set 41683 Forest Horseback Riding Center (2021). I'm rather surprised that dark turquoise has not been used more for these window shutters. 



Outside the loo, is a shower. The aqua and coral flowers make great hot and cold water faucets. A bottle of shampoo sits nearby with a coral hose nozzle used to create the bottle pump. This is a new color for 2022 and has only been used in one other set so far. Given that there is no screen for the shower, I imagine it is to rinse off the salty ocean water after swimming. 



A sticker is used to for lavatory signage, letting us know this is a unisex loo and pointing to which side has the shower. A little foliage is added to provide a some shade. 



With the loo complete, we are finished with the first bag of parts and the first instruction book. There are many small parts left as spares. Of particular note are the coral hose nozzle and the 1 x 1 round printed tile that was used for the radio dial. Also, the extra life jacket means that all three mini dolls can enjoy a day on the waves if someone rides double on the paddle boards.



The second book of instructions builds the glampig tent site and uses the parts from bags two and three.



Bag two starts with a strip of beach and a pier that will extend from the camp site at an angle.



Next we add the campsite foundation which uses three 6 x 8 plates in medium lavender. This was a new color in 2021 and has only been used in two other sets. 



The back wall of the camp foundation includes a fireplace. A sticker is used for a tray with a couple slices of bread with jelly. 



To the left of the fireplace, we add a camping lantern and bed. Identical stickers will be used for the bedding on all three beds.



A second bed is added above the first one creating bunk beds. Two stools with cushion stickers are placed on either side of the meal prep area. In the corner we place a medium nougat barrel. This was a new color last year and has only been used in one other set.  



Into the medium nougat barrel, we add three sticks with marshmallows ready for toasting.  

We also add the third bed on the right side of the camping foundation. 



Bag two is finished, and we have just three small pieces left as spares. Note that two of them could be used to make a fourth toasted marshmallow. Yum. 



Bag three continues adding details to the camping platform and beach. The coral marine life multipack is perfect for adding small ocean creatures. It was introduced in 2019 with the Friends Ocean Rescue sub theme and has only been included in five other sets.



Before we start adding marine life to our glamping site, Daniel joins the campsite with an all new look. His head is new for 2022 but has already been used in set 41707 Tree-Planting Vehicle. He is wearing a new white and bright light orange t-shirt with a bright light yellow pocket and floral pattern. He is also wearing new cropped trousers in sand green with dark green sandals. 



With Daniel ready to join the glamping party, we start adding marine life details to the campsite. 



Then we expand the beach front and add a fire pit. The logs that make up the fire use newly recolored 1 x 1 x 2/3 double curved slopes in reddish brown. It's a great fire pit, and I expect this little build will show up in future sets. 



We continue expanding the beach. The small sand castle is charming with minimal parts. A basket is placed next to a beach chair. Then we add the edge of the water where the swell of the ocean breaks upon the shore. This stylized surf is similar what was done with set 41709 Vacation Beach House. 



A couple of coral fishes are swimming off the end of the pier. We also add a few medium nougat 1 x 4 tiles with wood grain print. This was a new print in 2021 and has been used in four other sets. While not strictly necessary for the pier, it does provide a nice bit of extra detail. Plus, I appreciate getting a few more of this printed piece. 



At the end of the pier, we hoist a wind turbine to provide some green energy for our glamping site. The 3 blade propeller is new in white for this set. 



The glamping site is ready for the tent cloth. This is definitely a permanent camping base with that fireplace and built in bunks. I suppose that a permanent foundation for camping on the beach is necessary to keep the tent from washing away when the tide comes in. 



The glamping site is surrounded with a large, semicircular cloth tent. This is a new, exclusive piece for this set. The cloth is stiff and has a papery feel (it is not paper, just not soft and flowing). It is printed with a dark turquoise pattern of leaves, fronds, and flowers on an aqua background. The tent comes in a separate plastic wrapping with a cardboard piece to keep it flat. The ends are folded over in the packaging, but this crease didn't give me any trouble when adding the tent cloth. 



The tent cloth wraps easily around the campsite, and attaches over four tow balls. There is a little gap in the front and on the corners when fully closed. It's not going to be weather tight if the wind picks up. 



To open the tent, the front flaps are just folded back and attached on the side tow balls. It looks much better open than closed, and provides good access to the interior play space. 



The back of the tent isn't very exciting, but it does show off the tent print. 



The last thing we add is a string of lights running from the windmill to the top of the tent. To show off the lights at the top of the tent a little better, I rolled the tent opening instead of doing a single fold. You can see that the tow ball connection is inside the roll of tent cloth. 

A bit of foliage provides camouflage for the chimney, and the glamping site is complete. Daniel settles in for some fishing while he waits for Andrea and Stephanie to arrive on site.



With bag three finished, there are a few more small pieces left as spares. All the marine life pieces were used. 



Here is the completed set with the side builds. While Daniel fishes, Andrea catches some waves on a paddle board. Stephanie takes a break from the sun and fixes a quick lunch in the tent. 



The front of the box shows the glamping tent set on the edge of the beach with the surf washing up around it. The loo is nearby. Stephanie and Daniel roast marshmallows in the fire pit, which has been moved off the glamping set and positoned further up the beach. A bottle washes up on shore next to them. Andrea and the puppy are paddle boarding. A small note on the box states that the "model does not float." Palm trees and beach building are in the background. The paddle board rack is not actually pictured. 

Circles in the bottom right corner highlight the included mini dolls and provide their names - Andrea, Stephanie, and Daniel.

There is nothing in the upper right corner where the BFF heart used to be. It's just a continuation of the palm trees from the backdrop.



The background image extends across the bevels on each end of the box, and continues on to the left side of the box. At the bottom of the left side Stephanie, Daniel, and Andrea are shown with the puppy. Andrea is holding a paddle.



On the back of the box, the glamping tent is shown with one side closed. Daniel is fishing while Andrea waves from the pier with a basked of shells. Stephanie stands inside the tent. To the left, we see the paddle board rack. To the right we see the beach loo with the privacy doors open to show the interior. 

There are five call out boxes and one circle. The circle shows the girls sleeping on the bunk beds. The boxes show other scenes of the mini dolls hanging out, which provides some ideas of the imaginative play that kids can enjoy with this set. Emoji are used to convey the interactions of the mini dolls with each other. In the lower right corner, Andrea, Stephanie, and Daniel are shown in their animated mini doll form. Stephanie is holding a fish and wears a life jacket, while Daniel is carrying a paddle board and paddle. 



The top of the box uses Andrea for the actual size image. Daniel and Stephanie are also shown. Daniel wears a life jacket and holds a paddle board, while Stephanie hands him a paddle. 

The bottom of the box shows the coral marine life that comes with this set. 



Summary:

I've never been beach glamping, but this looks like a really nice place to stay. With a recommended age of 6+, the build techniques are straight forward, but it's still a fun build. The bright Friends colors feel a little more subdued than normal with plenty of nougat, dark orange, and tan to help it blend into the beach. The tent cloth provides plenty of color. The sticker load is minimal, just adding small details. The only one that is really necessary is the mirror in the loo. 

For AFOLs, the three mini dolls and puppy are great additions to your collection, especially Daniel, as his outfit is new. I can always use a few more male characters in my mini doll collection. 

There are a few new pieces that stand out, like the paddle boards and tent cloth. The tent cloth is very nice and would look just as good in a jungle camp as it does on the beach. If you are building Heartlake City, this is a nice addition to the beach front, or it can provide inspiration for your own beach MOC. 



Overall, it's a fun set to build and provides good play value. 



Thanks for reading. Nighty night. 



Happy Building!
-prrbrix

Disclaimer:
This set was provided by The LEGO Group for the purpose of sharing set details with fans.
Opinions provided here solely reflect those of our reviewer.
Photographs are property of FriendsBricks and are not directed by TLG in any fashion.