In the olden days, by which we mean not too long ago, the word “camping” evoked feelings of adventure and freedom along with devastating feelings of having to go a few days without running water and en-suite bathrooms. However, now as we live in the golden age of innovation and technology, long gone are the days when you have to trade hygiene and bathroom privileges for the thrill of sleeping in the great outdoors.
So, we call on all of our camping and outdoors lovering readers, to go through our article on the top 10 best glamping retreats and camp in style, without exuding that musky odour that comes from days of going without a shower, putting humans in a comma and making animals run the other way.
Even luxury travelers will appreciate this fine innovation that combines glamour and camping in one sleek package allowing them to enjoy something generic yet exclusive. The word “glamping” which is a portmanteau of glamour and camping is now so famous that it was made a part of the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
The word that refers to nature escapes imbued with fine things like running water, electricity, king-size beds, fine linens, and in some cases, world-class dining, and spas, tucks luxury lovers and outdoorsy people under one umbrella. So, if you are someone who loves the outdoors as much as luxurious amenities then we are 110% sure that you will appreciate our article on the top 10 best glamping retreats and will give it a read till the final dot.
Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats – A Quick Glance
Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats – An Overview
1. Clayoquot Wilderness Resort – Ruggedly Luxurious among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Starting Price – $1600
Tucked in a remote spot off Vancouver Island in British Colombia, surrounded by stunning mountains, lush rain forests, and pristine beaches, Clayoquot Wilderness Resort first opened its doors to the public in 1998 as an overnight floating resort experience. Ever since then the accommodation garnered much fame and grew into a luxury retreat harboring 25 tented accommodations lined along the banks of the Clayoquot Sound. The resort offers its visitors an escape to the still, tranquil beauty of Canada’s remote wilderness, all the while offering the most luxurious amenities that put five-star hotels to shame.
Clayoquot Wilderness Resort welcomes its guests with a warm smile and offers them an unforgettable experience of magnificent landscapes and beautiful wildlife. At the glamorous resort, the adventure-filled days are bolstered by local produce-driven sustainable dining accompanied by fine wine that will tingle your taste buds and make them dance in joy.
When arriving at the camp you will notice that it has a rugged outpost atmosphere, complete with huge stone fireplaces, and a long wooden cookhouse, however, it is an outpost that comes with every possible luxury you can imagine. From white linen tablecloths to polished silverware to high-thread-count bedding and soft comforters, the place makes sure that its esteemed guests aren’t devoid of any luxuries.
The Clayoquot Wilderness Resort offers two main kinds of luxury tent experiences i.e., original deluxe tents and prospector-style luxury tents. The original deluxe tents are built on raised platforms and lie a few steps away from the main camp. The campers of these tents enjoy countless comforts such as cozy Adirondack-style beds, antique furniture, and wood-burning stoves. On the other hand, the prospector-style luxury tents take glamour and comfort up another level and offer glampers with in-floor heating and en-suite bathrooms that harbor indoor/outdoor showers. At Clayoquot Wilderness Resort guests can spend their days whale-watching, exploring the retreat’s 600-acre reserve either on foot or horseback, and shooting clay pigeons.
2. Aman Camp Sarika – The Most Secluded among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Canyon Point, Utah
Starting Price – $2,290
Be at one with the wilderness by visiting this luxuriously beautiful accommodation, tucked away in a secluded canyon, lying adjacent to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Aman Camp Sarika is one of the best glamping retreats and harbours a collection of 10 low-slung cave pavilions that seamlessly blend with the surroundings. It launched in the year 2020 as the new tented extension of Amangiri, a luxurious accommodation that opened its doors in 2009 and has seen the likes of Bard Pitt and Tom Hanks. Camp Sarika by Amangiri promises its guests an intimate, back-to-the-wild experience in the heart of the desert state of Utah.
Set apart from the rest of the world Aman Camp Sarika is the meeting point of a human soul with nature, where the sense of connection to nature is so much stronger than the ties to fast-paced modern city life. It’s pavilions, despite lying in the heart of nature, feature all the luxuries you can ever dream of.
The pavilions are a one- and two-bedroom affair each harboring a roomy lounge space that houses a dining table, bar, sitting area, and kitchen storage. The bathrooms are extremely spacious harboring showers and deep bathtubs. Each Pavilion is entirely private which means that if a guest were to step out onto their porch, they wouldn’t see another soul save for the lizards, birds, and crickets. The porches of the pavilions overlook the dramatic landscape and are outfitted with fire pits as well as heated plunge pools.
The resort is also surrounded by five national parks as well as the Navajo Nation Reservation which is the largest Native American reservation housed in the United States. Guests staying at Aman Camp Sarika can enjoy various activities like horseback riding and guided hikes into the nearby Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks. They can also engage in hoop dancing and storytelling empierces that are led by Navajo practitioners. Guests can immerse themselves in the Navajo traditions like smudging by visiting the 25,000-square-foot spa housed by Amangiri. This spa is an open-air facility, where guests can sit back, relax and sip on greenthread leaf-based Navajo tea and soak up the desertscape between treatments.
3. Under Canvas Bryce Canyon – The Most Upscale among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Bryce Canyon, Utah
Starting Price – $299
Under Canvas Bryce Canyon was founded in the year 2022 by Sarah and Jacob Dusek in Bozeman, Montana. The accommodation harbours all the bells and whistles of a luxurious glamping experience all the while allowing you to become one with the wilderness and reconnect with nature. The brand, Under Canvas offers upscale safari-style tents that are spread in 12 different locations across the U.S., and all lie next to popular national parks. The Under Canvas Bryce Canyon, which debuted in the year 2022 puts its guests within an easy 5-minute drive from the entrance to Bryce Canyon National Park Utah which harbours the highest concentration of otherworldly hoodoos on Earth.
The Under Canvas Bryce Canyon harbours 50 tents that are set on 700 acres of rolling grasslands against the backdrop of craggy mountains. The safari-style tents harbor thick, heavy-duty canvas, solid wood floors, and exquisite furniture including leather butterfly chairs, and queen- and king-sized beds the comfort of which puts to shame the beds at five-star hotels as well as a vintage-style burning stove which the guests can light themselves to ward off chills.
The accommodations range from Deluxe which sleeps two guests to a Suite that sleeps four and all of them come equipped with solar power, en suite bathrooms with hot water and low-flow toilets, and several other amenities. Under Canvas Bryce Canyon also harbours several other camps that might suit the taste of those who are seeking more ruggedness than luxury. These tents have no electricity although they do harbour battery packs for charging electronics and lanterns, and don’t come with television as well as Wi-Fi.
In the main lobby, which is a large, billowing tent lying at the edge of the camp, the kitchen serves frittata breakfast sandwiches as well as hot dinners that include roasted trout. In the afternoon the kitchen is closed, however, grab-n-go options are available. Free s’more kits are in abundant supply for those who wish to savor something sweet as they sit by the campfire. There is also complementary programming that includes live music, yoga classes, as well as astrology readings.
4. The Resort at Paws Up – The Most Sought After among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Greenough, Montana
Starting Price – $2,270
Lying at the crossroads of utmost luxury and unspoiled wilderness, The Resort at Paws Up is one of the grandest Western guest ranches and is among the best glamping retreats. The resort has been a people’s favorite ever since its debut in the year 2005. Sprawled over 37,000 acres of rocky peaks, and meadows The Resort at Paws Up is as much a home to humans as it is to wild flora and fauna like elk and ponderosa pines. The Blackfoot River that runs through the property makes it just more charming and heaven-like.
The Resort at Paws Up harbors many kinds of accommodations from luxury homes with verandas to design-driven adults-only Green O. However, the accommodation at the resort which is the most sought-after one is the glamping tents that can be booked in the warmer months between mid-May and mid-October.
The glamping sites are located in picturesque areas of Blackfoot River and Elk Creek and are organised into six separate camps that can accommodate from two to six guests each. Canvas suits come with large beds with wooden frames, private baths, and chandeliers. A communal dining pavilion harbors a fireplace and firepit and is managed by a private camp chef. The Resort at Paws Up also harbors butlers that are ready to organize guest activities that include on-site fly-fishing, and horseback riding on private trails that stretch 100 miles. Adults and kids ages 12 and up can also help move small herds of Black Angus cattle on sample stock drives.
5. Dunton River Camp – Harbors the Most Showstopping Views among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Dolores, Colorado
Starting Price – $800
Less than a two-hour drive from Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park, lies the 500-acre Dunton River Camp, a former cattle ranch that dates back to the 1800s that is now one of the best glamping retreats in the United States. The property showcases 500 acres of peaceful fields, meadows, and forests and provides its guests and endless opportunities for adventure and exploring.
Dunton River Camp features eight luxurious tents that offer showstopping views of the San Juan Mountains or the west fork of the Dolores River. Each of these eight tents can house two people and offer all the amenities one might find in a five-star hotel like en suite bathrooms that house a 6-foot soaker tub/showers, double vanities, towel warmers, and on-demand hot water.
When you are not off exploring the ancient pueblo cliff dwellings of Mess Verde, take advantage of the complementary bikes offered by Dunton River Camp, and explore the area, steam in the streamside sauna, or visit the only active geyser that Colorado harbors on-site at the Dunton River Camp. Guests can also book a la carte activities like rafting, rock climbing, and photography instruction.
6. Collective Retreats Governors Island – The Most Accessible among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Governors Island, New York
Starting Price – $309
The most accessible among the top 10 best glamping retreats is the Collective Retreats Governors Island. Despite being accessible, the glamping spot lies a world away and can be reached in eight minutes from downtown Manhattan via a ferry. Governors Island is a tiny 172-acre island and a public park that is enjoyed by both visitors and locals. Thanks to Collective Retreats Governors Island, since 2018, people have been able to spend the night at the picturesque island.
Collective Retreats is renowned for opening luxury camping sites in remote locations like Texas Hill County and Yellowstone. It made its urban debut by opening a similar glamping site on Governors Island, where each canvas tent showcases stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty.
The glamping site offers 27 Journey tents and 10 Summit tents both of which feature real beds and mattresses, and come equipped with functional electricity, and French press coffee bars. However, the Journey tents are slightly cozier and harbour shared bathrooms that lie within a two-minute walk from each campsite. However, for those who desire an over-the-top camping experience, should go for the Summit tents that come with private en-suite bathrooms with rain showers, Yeti coolers, a spacious deck with Adirondack chairs, and several other amenities.
Breakfast is also included in the rates of Summit tents and if you wish, can be directly delivered to your bed for an extra fee. Collective Retreats Governors Island also harbors Outlook Shelter and Outlook Liberty Suite which are ideal options for those who prefer more cabin like strictures. Both of these are temperature-controlled come with private bathrooms and have proper windows and doors instead of tent flaps.
7. Mendocino Grove – The Most Naturally Luxurious among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Mendocino, California
Starting Price – $790
Who would say no to a camping trip in California, and not just any camping trip, one that involves staying in comfortable safari-style tents in a secluded forest by the ocean? So, if you are someone who is on the lookout for a luxurious retreat among nature, then Mendocino Grove is the ideal choice for you. Mendocino Grove lies on a stretch of a 37-acre property that sits atop a rock cliffside just south of the quiet town of Mendocino on Northern California’s coast. The site harbors 60 tents, each of which comes equipped with beds with a heated mattress pad, a campfire pit, a private deck as well and a picnic table.
Mendocino Grove is also a great option for those who need alone time and tranquility as all of its tents are well spaced out, maximising privacy. The bathrooms are however shared and are stocked with lavender-scented amenities. When at Mendocino Grove, enjoy your morning coffee on the hammock, under the cool shade of the beautiful trees, or bask in the liveliness of live music as you sit around the campfire, roasting s’mores.
As the year 2023 rolled around, Mendocino Grove upgraded from luxurious to ultra-luxurious and started offering cedar wood saunas, massages, chef-cooked dinners on Fridays and Saturdays, and an expresso bar. So, lovers of luxury and nature this is your time to enjoy some Cali nature all the while basking in the luxuries of Mendocino Grove.
8. Nayara Tented Camp – Most Spacious among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Arenal Natura Ecological Park, Costa Rica
Starting Price – $950
Nayara Tented Camp is a crown jewel of luxury glamping and is one of the best glamping retreats, offering peerless views that telegraph the best of Costa Rica. Lying amidst nature, surrounded by unending relaxation adventure, the 37 spacious accommodations that Nayara Tented Camp harbours come with private hot spring-fed pools with views of the active Arenal volcano, massive bathrooms that harbour deep soaking tubs, and indoor as well as outdoor showers, king-sized beds as well as a personal butcher who caters to your every whim. The Nayara Tented Camp lies on the same 62-acre rewilded estate as sister properties Nayara Springs and Nayara Gardens.
Nayara Tented Camp is also a great glamping option for families as it houses several multi-bedroom tents that are convenient for large families especially those with kids. The activities at the campsite are designed so as to appeal to various age groups and include naturalist-led bird watching, a visit to the framers market La Fortuna Town, frog spotting walks, and a tour to the wildlife-filled Arenal Hanging Bridges Park.
Guests can also opt for an on-property experience called the Secret Life of Tony the Sloth and learn about Nayara’s sloth habitat protection efforts and about Tony who has been a resident sloth at Nayara for many years. Several other sloths also live on the vast 62-acre state thanks to the resort’s reforestation efforts that planted more than 1000 cecropia trees, on which these mammals depend for food.
9. Shinta Mani Wild, Cambodia – The Most Radical among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – South Cardamon rain forest, Cambodia
Starting Price – $1.900 (all-inclusive)
Among the top 10 best glamping retreats, the one that offers a radical fusion of world-class design, all-inclusive hospitality, and conservation is Shinta Mani Wild, Cambodia. It is the kind of place where your stay makes a real difference and helps in the protection of unique and endangered species. Shinta Mani Wild, Cambodia is also one of its kind luxury tented camp experience in Cambodia’s Cardamon rain forest and is a passion project from Bangkok-based architect Bill Bensley.
Bill Bensley along with investor Sokoun Chanpreda purchased an 865-acre swath of land which is about the size of New York City’s Central Park, from a logging auction. Once the land was acquired, Bill set to work and created 15 individually designed tents without cutting down a single tree. He filled these tents with Cambodian wood cravings, large comfy beds, and open air bathtubs that allow guests the bathe while taking in the views of the surrounding jungle, making it an unparalleled and unrivalled luxury glamping experience in Cambodia.Moreover, about 70 percent of the retreat staff of 120 people come from the local village. Talk about conservation.
Shinta Mani Wild is one of the best glamping retreats not only because it is luxurious but also because of the vital role it plays in preserving the environment. The retreat is located near a key elephant migration trail and wildlife life such as bears, gibbons, Indochinese tigers, macaques, and hornbills also call this beautiful habitat home.
Here guests are offered various experiences via which they can connect with nature. Be it flying in the wind on one of Southeast Asia’s longest zip lines, going on a bird-watching walk, sailing on a kayak on the river that runs through the property, or basking in nature on a mountain bike, the opportunities for reconnecting with nature are ample at Shinta Mani Wild.
In an effort to preserve wildlife, Shinta Mani Wild partners with the NGO Wildlife Alliance, which patrols the property for poachers. Guests are also given the opportunity to join this patrol. Shinta Mani Wild’s sister nonprofit, Shinta Mani Foundation supports the rural families inhabiting the areas with various projects such as hospitality schools and a small business loan program.
10. Capella Ubud – The Most Conscientiously Developed among the Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
Location – Bali, Indonesia
Starting Price – $1,870
Capella Ubud is the most conscientiously developed retreat in Bali, and if every new hotel was developed like that, we wouldn’t have to worry about the effects of over-tourism on the island. This retreat is also designed by the Bangkok-based landscape architect Bill Besnsley and leaves a light footprint. Capella Ubud is located about 4.5 miles away from the ever more crowded village of Ubud, and sits along the quiet river embankment in the traditional rice farming village of Keliki. The 23 tents of Capella Ubud were erected without cutting down any trees.
The tents are teak-floored accommodations that welcome the sounds of the surrounding rainforest and harbor large outdoor decks, indoor and outdoor bathrooms, oversized daybeds, outdoor dining areas, and private pools. The private plunge pools at Capella Ubud are clad in natural stones, and the retreat also harbors a vast, aboveground saltwater pool.
Book Now The Top 10 Best Glamping Retreats
To book any of the top 10 best glamping retreats mentioned above, either make your way to their respective sites or consider booking at TripAdvisor.
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