What Is Glamping ?
What is Glamping? It is a fittingly coined term to describe this very unusual version of camping. “Glamping” is derived from combining the words – you guessed it – “Glamour” and “Camping.” Glamping. Get it? It is a luxury form of camping with accommodations that rival the most expensive hotel rooms in the world, for high class comfort! It’s kind of like roughing it – only without the rough part. More like the comforts of home, but away from home.
You’ll need to pack some gourmet food as well as your favorite coffee, such as Bintansky.
Glam camping can be experienced in a broad range of prices and accommodations. There are thousands of products aimed directly at Glampers, such as this $500 glamping tent, the “Dream House Outdoor Waterproof Cotton Canvas Family Camping Bell Tent“.
Which Champagne should you bring? Would you prefer a Bollinger or a Pol Roger? That is, of course, a matter of taste, as long as you can keep it cold, and at the correct serving temperature.
Where Glamping Began
Luxury glamping originated way back when safaris were all the vogue and American and European travelers in particular flocked to the wilds of Africa to enjoy the open spaces and wild animals while sleeping under the stars. But these travelers were, more often than not, of a wealthier stock being as such a safari adventure came at a pretty high cost. These were not people who would have been content to lay in a sleeping bag under said stars and eat meals out of a tin can.
Hence, the larger, fancier canvas tent lodging that could accommodate a whole living room’s worth of comfortable furniture – or at least a Queen Size brass bed with luxurious bedding. Butlers and chefs were part of the package as well … and thus glamping was born.
Accommodation
What is luxury camping like today in its modern form? In a word – wonderful. There are resorts and luxury camp grounds that specialize in high end camping experiences. They offer beautiful tents that are bigger than most master bedrooms. They are raised on a platform off the ground to combat any wetness, and even come with a heater. But that’s not all. These tents include such amenities as private bathrooms with claw foot, or even jacuzzi, tubs, plus a butler who is there, if for no other reason, than to remind you that you are definitely NOT in Kansas any more, Dorothy. The beds boast a comfort equal to the Hilton.
But it’s not all tent camping. Some glam camping resorts and camp grounds also offer luxury cabins where their guests can enjoy nature from the vantage point of the hot tub on their screened in back porch, or while enjoying a massage by a licensed massage therapist on their cabin’s front porch. Nothing is too good for these glamping nature lovers.
You may laugh, but the general consensus is, once one has gotten over the initial embarrassment of indulging in this luxury camping, they want to come back – again and again. It is not uncommon for resorts that sponsor these luxury experiences to be booked over a year in advance!
Glam camping camps, resorts, sponsors – whatever you call these providers catering to the luxury camping experience – can be found in all the places of your dreams: Yosemite, Sonoma (Yes, that would be wine-tasting glamping), under the never-ending Big Sky country of Montana. You name it.
Why Do People “Glamp”?
People go luxury camping for any number of reasons – the novelty of the experience probably ranking as the number one reason. Some do it because it is such a unique twist on camping … others because they are really not into camping, but love the outdoors. It’s the best of both worlds – they are camping, but they’re not … “camping,” that is. It’s a great getaway from the kids.
It will prime the conversation pump for years to come. For instance, you state rather casually to your in-laws, “Mary (your wife) and I went glamping …” to which they reply, “What is glamping?” The perfect opportunity has just been been opened to you to launch into your story! It makes for great tweeting too. I recently saw a Twitter post that said, “Gone glamping.” It triggered a long stream of Tweets about what this form of outdoor activity is. There were some fairly strong opinions expressed, both pro and con.
Price-wise, this method of camping seems a fairly reasonable undertaking. For the price of a nice hotel you can spend a night in one of those luxury tents. Sure, you could also stay at a Hilton for the cost of a $59 bid on Priceline – but what’s the fun of that? Sure, you’ll have the luxury and the pampering (in glam camping terminology, would that be “pamping”?), but what are you going to tell your in-laws?
Generally, camping in a luxury tent would set you back around $146 for a night, but that includes the stars and big Montana sky thrown in for free. It really is something you would reminisce about for years to come.
By the way, this isn’t something unique just to the U.S. You may, of course, have seen adverts about glamping in Washington, Colorado glamping or even glamping in Costa Rica. However, looking further afield I’ve seen websites about glamping in the U.K. and Canada. You can go glamorous camping in Sardinia, Portugal, Andalucia. Fodors even writes about it, not to mention Ree Drummond (The Pioneer Woman), who had a drawing for a book (not her own) about glamping. I’ve also seen some ads for Glamping in a Tiny House (another recent trend).
Glamping sounds like so much fun doesn’t it?. It would even make a great gift. Sometimes I’ll give a night in a B&B as a wedding or anniversary gift (but only to very close friends and family). A night of glamping sounds like an ever better idea!
Are you as sold as I am? Frankly, I was ready to sign up about halfway through this article. If you’ve learned something new and are ready for a unique experience, then whether glamping uk or glamping us maybe you should go glamping on your next vacation. “Keep Calm and Glamp On!”
How to find Glamping Near Me
In the UK, check out Glamping Hub and in the US HipCamp. Many major hotel booking companies, such as Booking.com also offer glamping sections.