Glamping: Camping for glamorous people

When most people think of camping they get an unglamorous image of a tent that leaks, mud, and a spot or two of rain. It doesn't have to be this way. There's a new form of glamorous camping taking Britain by storm which is known as Glamping. Glamping is the combination of glamour and camping. Glamping is spending time in the great outdoors, enjoying a crispy campfire in the night under the stars, then waking up to a breathtaking sunrise in the middle of the nature. These are sleeping outdoors with as many luxury as possible without roughing it. That means access to running water, toilets, bathroom, king-side beds, massages, electricity, hot tubs and so on. Glamping is sleeping in tents, cabins or yurts but they offer the luxury from a five-star hotel.

You can divide glamping in three groups.

The first group is ‘Glamping for beginners’. The most basic glamping level is heavy on comfort and light on actual camping. This option is for those who want to get away from it all and stay in the heart of the campgrounds. A first example is the Furnace Creek Resort situated in the Death Valley from California. This resort offers two options: the basic hotel ‘ranch’ and the more upscale ‘inn’. Both situated at walking distance to hiking trails and the campgrounds. A second example is Big Pine Retreat in the Hocking Hills in Ohio (Columbus). At this place there are four wood cabins. A night in this cabin costs $165 to $225 for a one- to three- bedroom cabin with full kitchen, hot water, beds and a hot tub.

The second group is ‘Moderate glamping’. The first example here is Yosemite’s Curry Village in northern California. Here you sleep in tents with basic cots inside and bear cans for all you food outside. Bathrooms and showers are communal. A second example are the canvas tents at Chestnut Grove in North Carolina. These tents are provided with wood floors, hand-crafted furniture and many more at a nightly rate of $50 per person. You can find there a hot tub, hiking tours and enjoy a massage, but there are also vineyard tours and there is the possibility to do on rafting, fishing and canoeing. Another option is staying in a yurt. This is a tent covered with filt that was used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. There are yurts all around America.

And the last group is ‘High-end glamping’. An example is the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort. They offer 11 tents with rugs, propane wood stoves, antique furniture, hot water and modern composting toilets. For true luxury, you have to go to Blackfoot Valley in eastern Montana. The Paws Up Resort has luxurious tents, with king-size beds, master bedrooms and electricity. Prices start at $820 per couple per night, meals included.

As you can see there a lot of possibilities to do on glamping. It’s up to you to make a choice and have the greatest time of your life.