Sometimes, you don’t want to just camp out, but camp out with style. While it’s perfectly enjoyable to spend time roasting marshmallows and telling stories around the campfire, it’s also not bad to have private bathrooms, five-star dining, swimming pools, and eco-friendly dwellings. Here are some of the best glamping spots. (If you’re not sure what “glamping” is, it’s “glamorous camping” and may be something to consider if you have the money for it.)
Located in the remote safari site somewhere in western Tanzania is the Greystoke Mahale, a camp which has been operating since 1988. You will find the luxuries and conveniences you’d find in a glamping camp while you will still enjoy the isolation and natural beauty of a safari. Since there are no roads leading to the Greystoke Mahale, the only way to get there is a plane or boat. You will be enchanted by the beautiful bandas (or huts in the Swahili language), stunning views of Lake Tanganyika, and the great number of resident chimpanzees in the area. Tourists go on guided visits to see the chimpanzees in their daily activities.
In the midst of the Aussie outback, there is a series of tents-cum-cabins that surround the Longitude 131 glamping campsite. Visitors enjoy high-end amenities and service air-conditioned huts with automatic blinds, Bose speakers and iPads, housekeeping services, gourmet meals, detail-oriented staff, experienced knowledgeable tour guides, and a magnificent view of Uluru (Ayers Rock). A bit too expensive, but it’s worth it.
The notion that all glamping sites have high-tech amenities is busted by this charming spot somewhere in Cornwall, England. It is called The Hobbit House, which is part of the environment-friendly holiday site Plan-it Earth. Many would dread the idea of having an English holiday but once they step into this location they will be pleasantly surprised. If you’re all about eco-friendly camping, this place should certainly be it.
This idyllic glamping site is designed to become a work of art, beauty, and friendliness to the environment. It has the perfect combination of traditional comforts and modern luxuries, from the wood-fired showers, composting toilets, comfy furniture, saunas, and skylight roof. You can even have your own vegetable garden (complete with a fire pit) at the orchard and the chance to experience skills such as wild food foraging. There are also sandy beaches only a few minutes away from the house. Your stay at the Hobbit House will be both an adventure and a learning experience.
If you want to have a fantastic getaway that combines the best of the American wilderness and modern luxuries, then The Resort at Paws Up in Montana should be the place to go. You’ll feel like the most sophisticated cowboys (or cowgirls) on earth when you get to stay at the resorts’ ranch-style dwellings and variety of tents. And they’re not just any homes and tents — they offer modern comforts such as electricity, heated floors, WiFi access, gourmet meals, massage services, and even butlers. Besides those amenities, the glamping site also offers good-ol’ camping activities like fly fishing, horseback riding, raft rides, and even tending cattle! Finicky wealthy city-dwellers will surely enjoy the best of both worlds at The Resort at Paws Up. Also worth noting, is Royal Gorge Cabins which offers glamping tents with breathtaking views of the Colorado Rockies and close proximity to white water rafting adventures (literally across the street!).
In the town of Harads, Sweden there is a glamping site with a series of luxurious and cleverly-designed tree houses called Treehotel. You can relive your childhood days of living in the tree house but with a grown-up, modern flair. Treehotel has a handful of artfully-constructed tree houses with an unmistakably modern European architectural style. They include the Mirrorcube (which certainly lives up to its name), the flying saucer-shaped house aptly called the UFO and the Bird’s Nest whose exterior really does look like a bird’s nest, providing a perfect blend to its natural surroundings. The resort also has a restaurant near the houses, as well as a sauna.
Guests will get to enjoy dog-sledding, hiking, zip-line, and white-water paddling. They will also have the chance to meet the indigenous Sami people and have a first-hand experience of their culture.
There’s nothing like “roughing it” than camping in the Swiss Alps. Luckily, you will find an extraordinary luxurious oasis in the middle of the snow — the Whitepod. The resort boasts fifteen domed-shaped tents or “pods” which are equipped with private bathrooms, wood-fired stoves, spas, and luxurious interiors decorated with beautiful antique pieces. Deluxe pods offer more services such as WiFi access. After checking in their own respective lodgings, visitors will also get to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and dog-sledding. Guests can dine in the central “pod” or arrange to have their food delivered straight to their tents.
Who says that you have to be ultra-rich to go glamping? Yurt Village at Falling Waters Resort in the Smoky Mountains, North Carolina will excite campers who are on the budget but still crave for a piece of the glamping life. The lodgings there typically cost less than the average hotel room. These charmingly circular and spacious yurts provide the amenities guests need, like refrigerators, coffee-makers, and large beds, where you can comfortably doze off during the rainy hours. On a good, sunny day you can go out of your yurt and do many things such as rafting, zip-lining, swimming, and hiking. The resort has also been receiving praises for its top customer service, so consider that as a big plus. There may be no gourmet meals or private bathrooms, but this resort is perfect for the outdoors-loving tourists who are on a budget.
Somewhere in British Columbia, Canada there is a place where you can enjoy the luxurious comfort while relishing the quiet isolation and connection with nature. The Clayoquot Wilderness Resort is the place which lets you see the natural paradise while enjoying the modern amenities. Going to and staying at this glamping site will make you almost forget about hiking. First, you will be flown from Vancouver to Clayoquot via a 45-minute, private plane ride. Once you’re at the resort, staff members will help you in choosing which activities you’d like to do. Do you want to go whale-watching, or do bear-watching? Or ride on a kayak, fly in the zip line, or do some archery? They will be there to answer to your whims.
There is also a couple of communal tents where there you can have a WiFi access and do some indoor diversions like billiard games. Enjoy gourmet dinner too at the resort’s restaurant.
Situated in the heart of Torres del Paine National Park in Chile, the Ecocamp Patagonia features environmentally-friendly, sustainable domes which feature ensuite bathrooms and gas heaters. There are different types of private domes to choose from — from the standard to “superior” domes — as well as bigger communal domes where you and fellow guests dine in and just lounge around.
For more adventurous guests, take a look at what the EcoCamp Patagonia has to offer. Holidays at the glamping site include an expedition which extends from 4 to 9 days. These expeditions are complete with lots of outdoor adventures such as cycling, skiing, safari, trekking to the awesome forests, glaciers, lakes, and rivers in the Torres del Paine. For those who want the glamping life but crave for more challenging adventures, EcoCamp Patagonia should be the perfect destination.
There are so many places to go and glamp around the world. Check out more options like Cornish Secrets for other options or even check close to home.