GLAMP AROUND THE WORLD

Glamp Around the World - Luxury Travel Magazine

Glamp around the world

By: Emma Brancatisano, Issue 48 – Spring 11

Africa, Australia, Chile, Thailand, Maldives

THERE’S SOMETHING ROMANTIC ABOUT A TENT PITCHED IN A FAR-FLUNG LOCATION. TRADITIONALLY, AT THE LUXURY END, THE TENT WAS RESERVED FOR SAFARI EXPEDITIONS BUT THESE DAYS LUXURY DOMES HAVE POPPED UP IN DIVERSE SETTINGS ACROSS THE GLOBE. EMMA BRANCATISANO FINDS FIVE OF THE BEST TRAVEL EXPERIENCES THAT GIVE THE CAMPING CONCEPT A DESIGNER MAKEOVER…

On Safari in Africa

Dotted across the vast plains of the continent, tented camps provide the thinnest veil between guests and Mother Africa. Set in the heart of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, the Singita Sabora Tented Camp is an ecosafari experience for the adventurous traveller. Across the landscapes of the Singita Grumeti Reserve, The Great Migration moves right past the doorstep of Singita Sabora Tented Camp guests. Nine luxury air-conditioned tents, each with an ensuite bathroom, outdoor shower and viewing deck, accommodate up to 18 guests who share a dining room, bar lounge, library, elevated viewing deck and a swimming pool. Each “canvas cocoon” is decked out with antique mahogany chests, rugs and silk curtains. During the day guests can either enter the wilderness in a Land Rover with a guide to visit wildlife returning in the evening to sip sundowners with other Singita Sabora guests, or relax at camp taking in the surroundings from the viewing decks. Singita Sabora’s all-inclusive package includes all-suite tent accommodation, three meals daily and game safaris with an experienced guide twice daily. Other available services and activities include wireless Internet access, mountain biking, stargazing and hot air balloon safaris across the Serengeti plains.

Rates

From US$1,095 (about A$1,030) per person per night, twin share. Children under the age of 10 are not accommodated.

Getting there

Qantas offers daily flights from Sydney and Perth to Nairobi, via Johannesburg. Return economy class fares begin at A$4,090 and business class at A$9,205. 540 Airlines flies between Nairobi and Kilimanjaro International Airport, the closest airport to Arusha. Flights take around five hours and start at A$356 for a return flight. qantas.com.au; fly540.com Singita Sabora is in northern Tanzania, an eight-hour road transfer from
Arusha. Scheduled flights or private air charters can be arranged. Contact Singita Game Reserves: +27 21 683 3424, singita.com

In the Outback
Longitude 131°, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National park.

Lying at the gateway of the dual World Heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Longitude 131° is a five-star tented camp close to home. Offering private views of the sun rising and setting over Uluru, guests are exposed to the expansive landscape of the Northern Territory from the confines of their own private tent. Longitude 131° is 15 elevated tents, with white dome roofs and draped fabric canopies. Guests can expect the comforts of the most luxurious hotel inside including electronic blinds and reverse cycle air-conditioning. Longitude 131°’s touring programme is included in the cost of the stay and includes sundown walks into Kantju Gorge where refreshments are served at sunset guided tours of Walpa Gorge and helicopter tours over Uluru. In the evening, three course dinners are served under the desert night sky at Table 131°. Longitude 131° offers accommodation packages for a minimum twonight stay, with deluxe tent accommodation, all meals and return Ayers Rock Airport transfers. The tour program and entrance ticket to Uluru- Kata Tjuta National park are also included for the duration of your stay.

Rates

Prices start at A$2,190 per room per night (twin share) between July - November, 2011.

Getting there

Qantas offers regular direct flights from Sydney, Perth, Cairns and Alice Springs, and connecting flights from most capital cities to Ayers Rock Airport. Return economy fares start at A$520 (during high season) and business class fares start at A$2,958. A complimentary return transfer will transport you to Longitude 131°. For more information, contact Voyages Travel Centre: 1300 134 044, voyages.com.au

The green choice
Ecocamp Patagonia, Chile

Set in the vanishing wilderness of the world-heritage-listed Torres del Paine National Park, EcoCamp makes it possible to explore the remote Patagonia area in Chile with minimal ecological impact. The camp is a series of tented igloo-type domes designed to expose guests to the natural surroundings without sacrificing the comforts of luxury travel. Each dome has a private bathroom and double bed. Electricity is generated using a micro hydro turbine and solar panels, and the domes are heated by a low-emission wood stove. Connected and raised by wooden walkways, the camp also has three core domes and a Giant Dome, where guests dine together. A separate Resting Dome containing a small library is also the meeting place for organised groups. Experiences include trekking through the virgin beech forests, viewing colossal calving glaciers and photographing the Chilean wildlife.

Rates

Starting from US$1,900 (about A$1,795) per week, per person. Suitable for group, individual or family vacations.

Getting there

Qantas/LAN Airlines offers flights from most capital cities to Santiago, with one stopover in Buenos Aires. Return economy class fares from Sydney start at A$2, 733 while business class fares begin at A$9,134.

qantas.com.au

The camp is located in the Torres del Paine National Park. Lan Chile operates daily flights from Santiago to Punta Arena, the capital of the Patagonian region and the largest nearby town to the National Park.

lan.com

In the Jungie
Golden triangle, Four seasons tented camp, Thailand

Echoing the spirit of 19th century explorers, a stay at the Golden Triangle tented camp is one of the rarest of adventures. On a hillside trail overlooking Ruak River in Chiang Rai, Thailand - at a point where three countries meet - guests experience an exciting jungle setting combined with Four Seasons service. Golden Triangle, Four Seasons Tented Camp is 15 free-standing tented camps, each spaced at a comfortable distance from the other. Each is built on elevated ground with large outdoor decks, views of the mountains of Laos and roaming elephants at the doorstep. Inside, the tents are decked out with the hand-made furnishings including a handhammered copper bathtub. Guests arrive in a traditional long tail boat, having signed up to an all-inclusive package designed for active adults. They’ll trek an elephant through the tropical jungle, hike through the hills and venture down the Mekong River before heading back to camp for a campfire dinner. For the less active, or adventurous, there’s the Four Seasons Spa and perhaps a picnic luncheon in the jungle. Each package includes tent accommodation, full board, private round-trip airport transfers, a spa treatment and an organised mahout and elephant trekking tour.

Rates

A two-night adventure package, including a deluxe tent, half day mahout elephant training and Golden Triangle excursion is THB75,150 (about A$2,400). For a four-night adventure package and an additional day trip to Burma, the price is THB81,300 (about A$2,580).

Getting there

Thai Airways operates daily flights to Bangkok from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Return economy class fares start at A$1,243, while business class fares start at A$3,674. They also operate daily flights between Bangkok and Chiang Rai. thaiairways.com.au The Golden Triangle Camp is a 1.5-hour drive from Chiang Rai International Airport, organised by Four Seasons guides. Private helicopter charters are also available between the Tented Camp and the Four Seasons Resort in Chiang Mai. For more information contact the Four Seasons: +66 (0) 53 910 200,

fourseasons.com/goldentriangle

On a Private Island
Banyan Tree Madivaru, The Maldives

Island resorts are getting in on the “glamping” scene too using tents to bring guests closer to nature where the hope is they’ll abandon worldly cares. Set among the lagoons and reefs of the Maldives on the North Ari Atoll, Banyan Tree Madivaru is an ultimate desert island experience. The resort is a cluster of six free-standing tented pool villas nestled across the 16,000 square metre island – the first of its kind in the Maldives. Each guest accommodation is comprised of three individual, timber-floored tents set up as living, sleeping and bathing areas and spread across 264 square metres and opening out onto white sand. Guest experiences include windsurfing, fishing expeditions, snorkelling into the house reefs surrounding the island or speedboat explorations of the Maldivian marine life with an organised diving expedition. In the evenings there are sunset cruises and intimate sandbank island dinners. Spa treatments are conducted in-villa on side-by-side treatment beds.

Rates

A range of island packages are available starting from the allinclusive Solitaire package which includes accommodation, a personal resort host and a dedicated chef to prepare all meals, scheduled daily excursions, one 90-minute spa session for two and complimentary activities such as snorkelling and wind surfing. Staying for a minimum of three nights, prices begin at U$3,020 (about A$2,850) per night.

Getting there

Singapore Airlines offers regular flights to Male International Airport from most capital cities. Return economy class fares start from A$1,182 and business class fares from A$7,082. singaporeair.com
Banyan Tree Madivaru Resort is only 30 minutes south west of Male International Airport. Speedboat or private seaplane transfers are available, at an additional cost. For more information, contact Banyan Tree Madivaru: +960 666 0760, banyantree.com/en/maldives_madivaru

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