From glass pods to desert camps, in the run up to World Sleep Day on 19th March we share some of our favourite ‘glampsites’ that put you right on the edge of nature
Mixing comfort with the outside world can sometimes be a tricky task. You want to feel surrounded by the landscape you’re visiting – but in style. It’s no wonder, then, that glamping (short for ‘glamorous camping’) has become one of travel’s hottest trends, an experience that blurs the lines between a luxury stay and the wild outdoors. Here are our favourite six hideaways, each proving that some of the planet’s most pristine landscapes are best experienced in a pod, under canvas or simply beneath a star-studded sky…
Anegada Beach Club, British Virgin Islands
The very definition of beachfront luxury glamping, Anegada Beach Club offers unrivalled ocean views right from the veranda of your palapa (thatched hut) and powdery sand at your feet. Here, you can sway in your hammock as you feel the sea breeze against your face and watch on as kite-surfers and kayakers ford the ripples below.
Milaidhoo, Maldives
Could there be anything more romantic than Milaidhoo’s ‘Sleeping Under the Stars’ experience? It’s just you, your loved one, a four-poster bed and a tiny shred of sand. A sprinkling of candles and twinkling lanterns amplify the moonlight and the stars as you sip cocktails, while your peaceful glampsite retreat is only interrupted by the gentle wash of the waves.
Rosewood Luang Prabang, Laos
Nestled in the lush countryside that surrounds Luang Prabang, Rosewood’s collection of hilltop tents drip with elegant French-Laotian touches. This luxury glamping cocoon puts you so close to nature you can hear the wind passing through the leaves, the daily chatter of wildlife and the soothing sound of birdsong at sunrise.
PurePods, New Zealand
Wherever you turn in New Zealand, you’re greeted by an epic vista. But you’ll never feel more immersed in the panoramic landscapes than at PurePods. Scattered across a number of remote South Island locations, each pod is made from glass on every side, acting as the perfect observation bubble from which to enjoy the New Zealand wilds.
Marataba Safari Lodge, South Africa
The luxury tents of Marataba Safari Lodge blend into their surrounds like an extension of the rocky terrain of Marakele National Park. Watch the ‘Big Five’ roam free on the plains below from your private glamping deck, with the supreme panoramas of the Waterberg Mountains’ sprawling foothills providing the perfect backdrop.
Make sure you complement your stay at Marataba with a night in its Thabametsi Treehouse. Pack an overnight bag, leave the lodge behind and head to the middle of the African wilderness, where the stillness and silence is only broken by the murmurs and shuffles of wildlife carried by the breeze. This is just you and authentic Africa, one on one.
Wahiba Desert Nights Camp, Oman
Seeking that classic Arabian desertscape you’ve seen in the movies? Then look no further than this bedouin-style camp in Wahiba Sands. Wahiba Sands Desert Nights Camp in Oman is only a two-hour drive from Muscat, but you wouldn’t know it from its remote location. In every direction you look, endless silky dunes melt into a horizon framed by rust-red craggy peaks – quintessential Arabia.
