Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.
Today (June 22, 2015): Top 10 world’s ultimate glamping sites.
Camping is the ultimate way to get back to nature. It makes for great storytelling around the camp fire, beautiful adventures in the majestic outdoors, and bonding with family and friends. However, many, especially discerning travelers are put off by the lack of facilities and suboptimal sleeping comfort. But there is an alternative these days: glamorous camping or ‘glamping’. Glamping offers the thrill of a camping adventure in the wilderness, but without compromising on comfort and with all five-star luxury amenities present. I hereby present you my selection of the world’s 10 most (ultra)luxurious glamping sites, that should be on your bucket list (if you have deep pockets).
More info below the slide show. Think I missed one? Share your favorite glamping site in the comments section, or take my poll below!
*** Travel tip: how to get the best deal at a luxury hotel & save money ***
10. ECOCAMP PATAGONIA, CHILE
EcoCamp is situated in the very heart of Torres del Paine National Park – one of most amazing places to visit in South America – and provides the region’s first fully sustainable accommodation, complete with green technology. You enjoy guided treks and wildlife excursions by day and share fabulous evening meals with new friends, before falling asleep gazing up at the star-filled sky through your dome ceiling. Domes are built in the same shape as the ancient Kaweskar tribe dwellings. The camp is still rather basic, so be sure to book one of the suite domes, the only ones with an ensuite bathroom, that were designed for sleeping in the highest level of comfort.
- Hotel website: EcoCamp Patagonia
9. LONGITUDE 131°, AUSTRALIA
Longitude 131° is a transcendent experience of discovery, located in the spirited heart of Australia. Facing majestic Uluru, Longitude 131° commands spectacular views of the outback icon and World Heritage listed wilderness of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Crouched in the lee of a red sand dune and set among desert oaks and spinifex, the 15 luxury tented pavilions of Longitude 131° are dwarfed by the majesty of the landscape. Here, you can delve into the foundation of Anangu culture and explore their irresistible land. Luxurious and unfettered, Longitude 131° will make your senses come alive.
- Hotel website: Longitude 131°
- Other top 10 accolades: Longitude 131° also features in my top 10 list of the best luxury hotels & lodges in Australia, the world’s most luxurious desert retreats, and the world’s best wilderness lodges.
- Review: click here to read my review of Longitude 131°.
8. SINGITA SABORA TENTED CAMP, TANZANIA
Singita Sabora Tented Camp is situated in an untouched wilderness area of Grumeti Reserves, spanning over 350,000 acres in northern Tanzania, forming part of the Serengeti Mara ecosystem. The resort is ideally positioned on the renowned migratory route traversed annually by more than a million wildebeest, one of the world’s greatest wildlife adventures. The intimate 1920s-style explorer’s camp with 9 one-bedroom ensuite tents is permeated by a sense of nostalgic adventure. Steeped in character, Singita Sabora Tented Camp surprises guests with an opulence that is delightfully out-of-place with the rugged terrain of the surrounding savannah plains.
- Hotel website: Singita Sabora Tented Camp
7. BANYAN TREE AL WADI, UAE
An oasis of peace awaits you at Banyan Tree Al Wadi hotel, a desert resort comprising an Asian-inspired spa, a dedicated nature reserve (where you interact with Arabian gazelles, camels and oryxes), an 18-hole championship golf course and access to a private beach. A jewel amidst the endless sandscape, the resort is set against the waters of the Arabian Gulf and magnificent Al Hajjar Mountains, offering you the surreal aura of desert romance. Here, tented roofs in the style of traditional Bedouin nomadic dwelling, modern villa furnishings in classic Arab style and the thrill of your very own private pool in the middle of the desert make your journey a veritable grand adventure.
- Hotel website: Banyan Tree Al Wadi
- Other top 10 accolades: Banyan Tree Al Wadi also features in my top 10 list of the world’s most luxurious desert retreats
6. AMANWANA, INDONESIA
Amanwana is located on the Moyo, an island reserve east of Bali. Set on a beach in a secluded cove overlooking the Flores Sea, Amanwana is a wilderness hideaway with accommodation in luxury tents. The protected marine park offers some of Indonesia’s best scuba diving and snorkelling, with pristine reefs boasting a rich array of sea life. Amanikan is the camp’s 32-metre coastal cruiser which hosts adventures to Rinca and Komodo islands where the legendary Komodo dragons can be seen. Jungle treks on Moyo offer guests the chance to discover waterfalls and a variety of birdlife. The island is also home to a sanctuary for the indigenous rusa deer. The resort belongs to Aman, the world’s most exclusive hotel brand.
- Hotel website: Amanwana
- Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, early check-in, late check-out, continental breakfast, and a complimentary dive for 2 at Amanwana’s sea wall once per stay or A 60 minute massage per person per stay).
5. CLAYOQUOT WILDERNESS RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, open from May to September, is an exotic paradox of indulgent luxury and remote, untamed wilderness within Canada’s Pacific Rim National Park. This unique 21st-century-safari-style enclave of great white canvas suite tents, dining, lounge, and spa tents, offers exquisite cuisine and breathtaking adventures, giving visitors a rare taste of how the fortunate spent their summers ‘roughing it’ some 100 years ago. Twenty suite tents showcase antique furnishings, opulent rugs, down duvets, remote-controlled propane powered woodstoves and luxurious amenities. Watch out for black bears and whales though!
- Hotel website: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
- Other top 10 accolades: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort also features in my top 10 lists of the best luxury hotels in Canada and the world’s best wilderness lodges.
4. MOMBO AND LITTLE MOMBO CAMP, BOTSWANA
Mombo Camp, situated in the northern point of wildlife-filled Chief’s Island in the Okavango Delta, is built under large, shady trees overlooking a floodplain generally filled with life. Its nine spacious en-suite tents are raised two metres from the ground, with a long veranda, a sala and indoor and outdoor showers. Mombo Camp’s main living, bar and dining areas are under thatch, while the boma adds traditional flavour to a delicious dinner under the stars. There are 2 plunge pools in which to soak and a gym to work off the excellent food. Little Mombo, situated on Chief’s Island, is a smaller and more intimate camp to its sister and has its own dining and lounge area and a sparkling pool.
- Hotel website: Mombo & Little Mombo
- Other top 10 accolades: Mombo and Little Mombo Camp also feature in my top 10 lists of the world’s most expensive hotels and Africa’s most luxurious safari lodges.
3. AL MAHA DESERT RESORT, UAE
Al Maha, A Luxury Collection Desert Resort & Spa, is nestled in a verdant palm oasis, deep within Dubai’s magical dune and desert landscape. Al Maha showcases the heritage and architecture of the Bedouins and also offers a sense of desert adventure. The suites, reminiscent of Bedouin tents, are faced far apart, blend gently into the desert and offer unsurpassed luxury. Beautifully furnished with a unique collection of authentic Arabian artifacts and antiquities, all suites boast private pools and offer spectacular views of the Dubai Desert Reserve and its wildlife (gazelles & Arabian oryx).
- Hotel website: Al Maha Desert Resort
- Other top 10 accolades: Al Maha Desert Resort also features in my top 10 lists of the hotel rooms with a spectacular view and the world’s most luxurious desert retreats.
- Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, roundtrip private airport transfers, $45 spa credit, $45 food and beverage credit, early check-in, and late check-out).
- Review: to read my review of Al Maha Desort Resort & Spa, click here.
2. FOUR SEASONS GOLDEN TRIANGLE, THAILAND
A natural paradise surrounded by majestic mountains, Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle puts you in an exquisite bamboo jungle close to some of Thailand’s oldest civilizations. Here, you can ride an elephant, take a nature stroll, and discover the customs of northern Thailand’s most colourful hilltribes. Four Seasons Tented Camp contains just 15 tents, where you can stretch out in 54 square metres (581 square feet) of living space appointed with leather-and-hardwood bush chairs, paddle fans and a hardwood desk, or soothe your muscles in a custom-made wooden hot tub on the outdoor deck.
- Hotel website: Four Seasons Golden Triangle
- Other top 10 accolades: Four Seasons Golden Triangle also features in my top 10 lists of the world’s most expensive hotels, the world’s most remote luxury hotels, and the best luxury hotels in Thailand.
- Tip: enjoy exclusive VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. daily breakfast and $100 USD spa credit).
1. AMAN-I-KHAS, INDIA
Open from October through May each year, the best season for wildlife spotting, Aman-i-Khás – also part of Aman’s portfolio – is a wilderness camp located in a rugged brushwood forest on the fringes of Ranthambore National Park. Combining the Sanskrit word for ‘peace’ with the Hindi word for ‘special’, khás, Aman-i-Khás offers accommodation in 10 luxury air-conditioned tents each with soaring canopies draped in the Moghul style. There are also three separate tents for dining, spa treatments and relaxing. Twice-daily, guided wildlife viewing excursions take guests into the park to spot indigenous game including tigers, leopards, hyenas, sloth bears, crocodiles and chital deer.
- Hotel website: Aman-i-Khas
- Tip: enjoy free VIP amenities when booking via Virtuoso (e.g. room upgrade, daily breakfast, a 60 minute massage per room per stay , early check-in, and late check-out).
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