Photo Credit: Paws Up
Over the past few years, glamping—or, “glamorous camping”—arose as a travel trend, and one that’s here to stay. With so many incredible, nature-centric destinations to discover, it’d be a real shame if we didn’t get to experience them firsthand and how nature intended for them to be seen. Glamping gives high-end travelers the option to immerse themselves in nature without sacrificing even the smallest of luxuries. The following are some of the top glamping hotels, or sites, that the world has to offer.
Paws Up
Photo Credit: Paws Up
With 37,000 acres of land on a working cattle ranch, Paws Up gives guests the ultimate American glamping experience. Situated in western Montana, the property offers expansive private homes or luxurious safari-style tents to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and a wide range of more than 70 wilderness adventures. Each tent—some being the largest in North America at 1,220 square feet—features hardwood floors, sumptuous beds, heated slate bathroom floors and Montana-sized rain showers. Each glamping camp also includes 24-hour butler service, transportation and a dedicated chef. Guests can even reserve the Island Lodge at Salmon Lake and enjoy their own private island during their stay. Not too shabby!
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
Photo Credit: Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
Venturing off to Africa to go on safari is definitely a bucket-list adventure, but the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti will really make it the trip of a lifetime. Located in the heart of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, most visitors fly via domestic airplane and take a short drive through the safari in a Four Seasons-branded Defender, to arrive at the oasis-like property. With 77 private guest rooms and villas, a high-end spa and an infinity pool located atop the local elephants’ watering hole, the hotel exudes a kind of unexpected luxury in the midst of the gorgeous Serengeti. Not only can guests enjoy the luxurious hotel amenities, which are nothing short of incredibly impressive, but they may also enjoy a safari excursion over multiple days, a nature walk in the wild and even a hot-air balloon ride at dawn, as the sun rises over the East African lands.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
Photo Credit: Clayoquot Wilderness Resort
Open from mid-May to mid-September, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort—a privately owned Relais & Châteaux property—provides guests with an unparalleled luxury eco-safari experience in the heart of the wild. Tucked off the grid in British Columbia, Canada, and accessible via a scenic 45-minute floatplane ride from Vancouver, the remote property features an enclave of 25 luxuriously appointed guest tents, a spa, grand cedar cookhouse and a stunning waterfront lounge where guests can enjoy a cocktail and see bald eagles swoop down to catch fish right before their eyes. Experienced wilderness guides create a bespoke itinerary for guests, which may even include breathtaking heli-adventures.
White Deer San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge
Photo Credit: White Deer San Lorenzo
If you’re looking for a different experience in Italy, try the White Deer San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge. Situated at an elevation of 1,200 meters and with stunning views of the Dolomite mountains, this luxe lodge features high-end amenities like a fine-wine cellar housing 1,500 bottles of local wines, a lounge, a tea room, a spa with a Finnish sauna made from locally sourced, 200-year-old wood, a Stube parlor and a private helipad. Guests of the lodge—limited to a maximum of 10—also have exclusive access to the property’s private golf course—the only one in the Alps. The lodge is only available for rent in its entirety, and the husband-wife resort owners also serve as the onsite sommelier and chef, using local, seasonal ingredients and traditional recipes.
Soneva Kiri
Photo Credit: Herbert Ypma
On Thailand’s fourth-largest island, Koh Kood (which also happens to be the least populated), is where you’ll find Soneva Kiri. Accessible only via private plane, just one hour southeast of Bangkok, the super-luxurious and award-winning resort provides the ultimate respite. It boasts 36 pools on beach, hillside or clifftop levels with views of the Gulf of Thailand, electric buggies, private butlers, an open-air Cinema Paradiso, a state-of-the-art Observatory and even a Treetop Dining Pod. Visitors may also enjoy hikes and kayak experiences to the local, gorgeous waterfalls, nightly stargazing, wine tastings, beachside barbecues, sunset cruises, picnics on the private beach and of course a bevy of water activities. Or for some real R&R, the onsite spa is the way to go.
