Remember when you went camping with the family, and your only memories were “This really sucked.” Well, we’re about to change all that. Welcome to the world of glamping.
Our top 5 glamping locations across the globe will help wipe away those brain neurons that remind us of bugs and boredom – while adding new meaning to roughing it. With spas, butlers, and wine tasting, isn’t this what luxury camping should be about?
The Resort At Paws Up
40060 Paws Up Road
Greenough, Montana, USA 59823
How can you not feel relaxed with a name like Paws Up? If you’ve ever seen the Robert Redford-directed movie, “A River Runs Through It,” then you’re already familiar with this majestic location.
Speaking of a spectacular adventure in nature, Slough Creek Campgrounds is the top place for adventurers in Wyoming – if you can book a reservation.
Located on Montana’s Blackfoot River, this is one of the most famous glamping sites in the U.S. The 37,000-acre resort offers 6 tented campsites, a pampering spa, and even your own butler. Butlers are a thing now, by the way.
As you may have read, we gave props to butlers in our top London hotels, and enjoying Barcelona luxury just wouldn’t be possible without them.
Cliffside Camp
With safari-style luxury tents that cater to families, couples, and groups, this is one of the more dramatic campgrounds at Paws Up.
Available May to mid-October, Cliffside Camp is perched upon a soaring cliff that overlooks the junction where the Blackfoot River and Elk Creek meet.
If you like the tent feel to make you feel like you’re roughing it, then check out these glamping experiences while staying at a Wyoming dude ranch.
Tree Haus at the Green O
If you’re a fan of trees, then you’ll want to put Tree Haus at the top of your list at Paws Up. This one-bedroom, two-bath is a slice of heaven, which is set 15 feet above the ground.
Tree Haus offers two stories of living space, floor-to-ceiling windows, and two separate decks that provide foliage-level views of the surrounding wilderness.
A ground-level hot tub is a welcomed amenity in case you spent the day rustling cattle or roughing it on a helicopter tour. Hey, what else are you supposed to do on a dude ranch?
This is truly an off-beat travel experience. Another one you might enjoy is our top 5 retro motels along the California coast.
EcoCamp
Torres del Paine National Park
Patagonia, Chile
EcoCamp Patagonia, is an award-winning, sustainable dome hotel located in Torres del Paine National Park, towards the southern tip of Chile. They offer all-inclusive programs to trek glaciers, go on multi-sport excursions, and discover wildlife. Not a boring moment here!
EcoCamp is referred to as the world’s first geodesic hotel, so we’re calling this something between a yurt and a tent.
The good news is this geodesic dome shape is super-strong structurally, even known to withstand hurricane forces. This is why you see this shape on radar systems on ships.
We get it, you don’t want to glamp inside a radar system, but when your backdrop is skyrocketing, snow-capped mountains, and an insane landscape in the Torres del Paine National Park, you know there’s gonna be some dramatic and extreme weather conditions.
In fact, one of the many tours you can take is a trek along deep blue glaciers and hauntingly beautiful forests. But rest assured that these comfy domes will let you sleep safe and sound.
Suite Domes
The suite domes are their most popular and luxurious, with heating, private baths, and the best views. It’s also super eco-friendly and decorated by the works of local artisans, so we’re keeping it real and authentic.
HOSHINOYA FUJI
Fuji, Japan
One hundred meters up the slope of a mountain that’s covered with a thick forest, you’ll find a true sense of serenity at Hoshinoya Fuji.
Glamping with the beautiful lake Kawaguchi and Mount Fuji as your backdrop, you can explore this forest along grassy paths designed to be walked barefoot. How’s that for roughing it?
Hoshinoya has Glamping Masters that guide you through your wilderness skills and earn you your camping bragging rights.
This includes smoking food, cooking with a Dutch oven, and making pizza in an oven fueled by wood that you chopped yourself. Yep, you’re doing the heavy lifting here folks.
If enjoying casual dining prepared by a chef is more your thing, they have that too. Just kick back, sip some wine, and makeup stories about how you conquered the great outdoors.
SABORA TENTED CAMP
Singita Grumeti, Tanzania
Singita Sabora Tented Camp is situated in an untouched wilderness area of the Grumeti Reserve. Singita Grumeti is also adjacent to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, and home to the Great Migration.
This means there’s a pretty good chance you’ll see a wildebeest or two while holed up here. The Great Migration, also known as the “Wildebeest Migration,” has been listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa.
This is the stage on which the ‘greatest wildlife show on earth’ plays out, as more than 2,000,000 wildebeest along with gazelle and zebra stragglers charge towards better grazing areas. Now there’s something you probably didn’t get to see during your young scout days.
The Sabora Tented Camp has 9, en-suite tents that are lavishly furnished by what might be construed as filled by adventurous treasure hunters of the 1920s.
This includes antiques and artifacts, original campaign furniture, Zanzibari chests, Persian rugs, and masses of crystal, silverware, and brass.
Seems very similar to our top 5 African lodges, but now you’re really deep in the bush living the adventure! Although we can’t quite form the visual of Indiana Jones doing wine tastings, swimming, and getting a signature spa treatment.
The Ritz-Carlton Ras Al Khaimah
Al Wadi Desert, United Arab Emirates
We’ll round out our top 5 list on glamping with this 5-star luxury camping resort in Ras Al Khaimah, in the Al Wadi Desert.
Just north of Dubai, you’ll find endless beauty in this Arabian desert covering a 1,235-acre protected preserve. The resort’s Experience Concierge can arrange a desert trek on a camel- or horseback, a private archery lesson, or an evening of stargazing.
If you’re into the nostalgia of Arabian nights, you can take a ride in a 1952 vintage Land Rover, and explore the Al Wadi Nature Reserve. As the sun sets, pull over alongside the dunes with a picnic basket and enjoy the view.
This begs the question, has anyone ever run out of gas in this oil-rich nation? Remember to arrive in style with this women’s Prada backpack, you’ll need lots of sunscreen and fashionable sunglasses in tow. It will also contrast nicely again the desert landscape.
There are 2 tented pool villas offered here, the Al Khaimah Tented Pool Villa and the Al Sahari Tented Villa.
Both come with a private pool and luxurious accommodations like a soaking tub, elegant Arabic décor sun lounge, and spectacular desert views.
