Luxe Camping Trips in Celebration of Earth Day
The Great Outdoors – we all feel the urge to get out there and breathe the fresh air. Many of us have tried camping at some time or the other. School camps, family trips or backpacking with your crew as young adults. If truth be told, it wasn’t always fun. Having grown accustomed to life’s little luxuries, “anticipointment” quickly sets in when you realize that you’ll be sleeping in a scratchy sleeping bag, and you will need to air-dry your hair after a cold shower in the morning. Not cool!
But the rules have changed … and “Glamping” (a portmanteau of Glamorous and Camping) is now a thing. Exactly how much glamour – and luxury – you can expect when glamping depends on where you go, but at the very least you will sleep in a real bed, have a hot shower or bath, and be able to charge your electronics. Some glamping-providers promise a hotel-like experience with special touches you won’t find even at your favorite 5-star establishment.
We’ve rounded up our favorite glamping spots for when you really need to escape from the crowds without sacrificing any home comforts.
Dramatic Desert
There’s something otherworldly about vast expanses of sand and dunes, covered by an immense blue sky. Top Desert, a Moroccan family-owned and operated company, offers a range of private tours which include glamping in the Sahara desert. They operate two Luxury Desert Camps; Erg Chigaga and Erg Chebbi, both offering comfort levels that will tempt you to stay forever. Relax in your private tent – so well-appointed you may forget that you’re in the middle of nowhere until the enchanting call of Berber music draws you outside under the dark, star-lit sky. Traditional Moroccan lights lead your footsteps down a path of handwoven carpet to the communal dining tent where your feast awaits. Transfers to and from the camps are generally in a 4×4 Toyota Prado, but helicopter and private jet options are available.
African Safari
Voted ‘Best Tented Camp in the World’, Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp has its own 7608-acre private conservancy and is just a short drive from the Masai Mara in Kenya and the Tanzania Serengeti game reserve. Rekindle your romance under old-style cream canvas tents with luxurious colonial furnishings while staff discretely take care of all your comfort needs. Africa’s oldest established safari family, the Cottars, offer you everything you would expect in an authentic safari experience. Enjoy a balloon flight over the Masai Mara, guided bush walks and game drives. End your day with sundowners at the pool, followed by a unique safari bath or shower.
Shipwrecked in Style
The Great Barrier Reef should be on your to-do list anyway. Take the next step and get splendidly lost on Wilson Island with its luxurious safari-style tent accommodation. Re-opening in mid-2019 with space for just 18 guests, Wilson Island offers truly exclusive glamping in a real island setting. Your own chef and bartender will keep you fed and watered with extravagant local flavors. Appreciate the sparkle of sand on your painted toenails as you explore the pristine white beach, or grab your snorkel to meet some of the world’s most elusive undersea creatures.
