When it comes to summer traditions, our region really has it nailed. Even in the era of low-cost holidays and budget flights, there are some aspects of the classic British summer that have and will never change.

Candyfloss and ice-creams on the seafront, day trips to the Pleasure Beach and boating down the Broads are all attractions that have drawn people to our little corner of the country for generations.

Visitors come from far and wide to experience our tranquil waterways and picturesque coastlines, and the long days and warm nights are the perfect excuse for Norfolk's city-dwellers to escape to the countryside that's so close at hand. The only drawback? Camping.

For some the word elicits a strange kind of elation and shades of Enid Blyton in Five Go Down To The Sea. For others, the single word strikes fear and loathing straight to the heart. Pre-dawn birdsong, wet canvas and spiders can make or break the best of holiday plans.

The romanticism of the sound of the rain drumming on the tent around you rapidly disappears when you emerge, bleary-eyed and exhausted, to discover you've left your shoes outside and wasps have made hay with your breakfast.

For those with a natural sense of adventure, it can be fun trying to dodge the cow pats on the way to the toilet block in the dark whilst waving moths away from your torchlight and tripping over guy ropes; and it's always so pleasant to know that the man two tents down is sleeping soundly, even if his snoring prevents other doing the same.

But it's not all bad. Over the last few years – probably since the invention of mosquito repellent – camping has become quite a civilised activity. More and more families are choosing to go back to basics and head off with rucksacks and groundsheets. It's cheap, fun, and takes the pain out of airport delays and long flights with young children.

Nothing brings a group of people together more than huddling beneath canvas and playing cards by torchlight whilst the rain hammers down around you. Granted, there will always be those who prefer the creature comforts of clean sheets and showers. But in terms of adventure – for big and little kids alike – camping comes up trumps.

This desire for home-grown experience is reflected too in the recent surge in festival popularity. Wherever you go, there's a festival for you. Whether you're a camper, a glamper, the literati or the glitterati, you can stake your tent-peg in a field not far from home. From Red Roosters to Reloaders, Sundowners to Solstice-Seekers, every base is covered – and that's just Norfolk alone.

Venture further afield and the household names start racking up: Latitude, Glastonbury, Hay-On-Wye.

Everywhere you look, there are opportunities to camp out and have a good time; and it's not just the music that's the draw. With these events come the best of local food and drink, served from pop-up tents in mini farmers' market-style, and often arts and crafts stalls too. It's a far cry from soggy sandwiches and warm ginger beer – and for those who are really reluctant to get back to nature, there are all manner of luxury camping facilities available at even the smallest of festivals, from yurts and tipis to Lotus Belles and octopads. It's almost worth the sacrifice of complimentary toiletries.

When you stop to think about it, we're incredibly lucky to live in a county that has so much to offer. Granted, we don't always have the weather on our side. But there's something quite nice about donning your jacket and dancing like a lunatic in your wellies – especially when everyone around you is doing the same.

There are so many tempting offers to warmer climes and white-sanded destinations that sometimes we fail to notice what's actually on our doorstep, and less than a half-hour's drive away.

So whether you're porcelain and bathtub or portable toilet and babywipe, make sure you get out and experience everything that Norfolk has to offer this summer.

There's really no need to go anywhere else.