Luxury Camping

Camping has progressed since the days of my youth when my friends and I would pitch our tiny tent in a farmer’s muddy field and huddle round the primus stove trying desperately to heat some food and at the same time stay warm.

It has even moved on from the large, multi-room tents that I went to later in life, permanent holiday camps in Spain and France.

Nowadays, you can discard any thought of roughing it, for camping can be a thoroughly luxurious experience.

Consider a camping holiday in the UK this year. Not only will it be lighter on your purse but also you can minimise your carbon footprint and help the national economy.

The Lake District is a fabulous area for camping and becoming one with nature, with beautiful scenery and lakes, fresh air and lots of healthy walking. After a long day exploring the fells you want to come back to a bit of comfort. And camping in a Mongolian yurt will supply you with all the luxury you would expect in a superior hotel. The authentic yurt sleeps 2 adults and 2 children and does have electricity that runs an oil fired heater and a shower. There’s a big bed and sheepskin rugs, it has a shed for basic cooking and an area where you can sit outside and just enjoy the view. Everything you can imagine is supplied in the yurt: crockery, cutlery, bed linen, BBQ and picnic equipment, tv, DVD player, fridge, table and chairs, and more. For £400 a week, this luxurious accommodation is a bargain. Yurt camping is also available in other regions of the UK and throughout Europe.

Another option is to go camping in Brittany in a luxury gypsy caravan, known as a roulette. The caravans are static, so there is no need to worry about driving a horse or wondering where to tether it when you make camp each night.

The campsite is in the extreme west of Brittany, in Brasparts and is located between a national park and the sea, boasting some outstanding countryside. The roulettes come in various sizes depending on the number of people staying, and they are available to hire per week, for a few days or for a weekend break. There is roulette with wheelchair access and for those who need added support and access. All the roulettes are comfortable and well equipped with shower, hob, fridge, garden furniture with towels and bed lined included. The prices vary dependent on the size of roulette that you choose, but a night costs approximately €75.

If you truly want to move in with nature then try an eco-holiday at Canvas Moon in central Portugal, surrounded by mountains and rivers with trees of eucalyptus, mimosa and pine. Canvas Moon has two large tents and is designed as a real luxury hideaway. The tents are comfortable and you do sleep on real beds; you can choose between the Marrakech and the Parisian tent. Bamboo showers collect water from the mountain spring that is heated by the sun and provides you with a lovely hot 42-degree shower. The night-lights are powered by solar energy, Zeer Pots keep your food cool and eco-friendly Kelly kettles boil your water. Tropical plants, vines and fruit trees line the terrace, providing you with a lush and tranquil location to enjoy your camping holiday. The campsite is close to the Serra da Estrela Mountains and here you can hike for miles, mountain climb or search the peaks for buzzards and kestrels. The Aguieira reservoir is close by and provides cycle tracks, river beaches and fantastic water sports. To travel to Canvas Moon fly either to Porto or Lisbon airports and take a bus or train to Santa Comba Dao where someone from the campsite will be happy to come and collect you. Or alternatively, hire a car, drive the two hours and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The cost for a week in this beautiful campsite is €350 per week or just €200 if you are brave enough to camp over the winter. If you do camp over the winter, then you can enjoy an afternoon’s skiing on the mountains for just #10 per half-day.

If you want to travel a little bit further, what about Montana in the US? You can camp in luxury safari-style tents – or as the Americans call it, glamping. Paws Up is a resort in the Blackfoot Valley, 30 miles north east of Missoula offering tents at two spectacular locations. The first one is Tent City and is a camping holiday with a bit of the western frontier thrown in. The six tents lie at the foot of towering pines and are protected by large natural boulders. The tents have feather beds, wooden flooring and electricity. The second location is River Camp, situated close to the Blackfoot River. The river that was the inspiration for bestseller and movie A River Runs Through It. Similar to the tents in Tent City, the tents have wooden flooring and electricity. Both locations have a camping butler. The tents sleep up to 4 people and cost from $715 per night for two people, but this does include all meals. The campsite is open from May to September and caters for weddings and honeymooners.

The first luxury camping site in South America is located on the shores of Lake Toro in the breathtaking surroundings of Patagonia. This area of southern Chile is an area of outstanding beauty with mountains, rivers and ancient forests. Seventeen yurts are available for accommodation and have been built on stilts to protect the waterways, plants and animals. Raised wooden walkways have been constructed to move between the buildings on the campsite. For four nights accommodation, the cost is $1900 for two people. This includes all meals, the use of a guide on selected excursions and free entry into the spectacular Torres del Paine National Park.

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