It’s the word that was on everyone’s lips over the summer as a million and one Brits that don’t usually ‘do’ camping decided to rough it in style. The idea of ‘glamping’ has been around for a while, but has only recently come into its own as a genuine holiday type in its own right. If not already familiar with the term, glamping is basically all about taking the best bits of camping and combining them with a huge dose of style and luxury. Dirty it isn’t and pricey it can be, but there’s something uniquely enjoyable about enjoying the great outdoors without actually getting too up-close-and-personal with the dirty stuff.
So, if you’ve been giving thought to taking your first ever glamping trip, here are the most important rules you simply must follow:
No Sleeping on the Ground
First of all, you need to make sure you do not even think about sleeping on the ground. These days, you can pick up quite luxurious portable beds for glamping that are every bit as comfy…perhaps more so…as the bed you have at home.
You Need a Big Tent
If you have a tent that’s too small to stand up in, you’re not glamping. If you have to keep your clothes, supplies, bed and everything else all in one small room, it’s not glamping. Glamping means staying in a tent that’s big enough to serve as something of a luxury suite or apartment for the duration. This means at least two or ideally three rooms, no sharing rooms with snoring friends and plenty of space to relax, sleep, party and do whatever you want to do.
Plastic Plates and Cutlery? No Way!
Another rule of glamping is that no expense or effort must be spared when it comes to dining. After all, it’s not as if you’d be happy to sit down at a table at the Savoy and be presented with paper plates and a teacup full of Champagne, is it? Of course not, so be sure to take along real crockery, real cutlery and real wine glasses…just be careful carrying them.
Port-a-Loos
These are another big no-no as there’s really no sense in dolling yourself up and living like a millionaire, only to then have to go and slum it in a disgusting portable toilet used by a million other people. If the place you’re looking to camp doesn’t have luxurious…or at least pleasant…bathrooms, you’re not glamping.
Flying Solo
And finally, it may sound like a bit of a mean-spirited rule to follow, but there is quite simply no such thing as glamping with young kids on board. The reason being that not only do kids not do glamour in general, but bring youngsters into the great outdoors and you’re pretty much 100% guaranteed to be dealing with a 24-hour grubby mess the likes of which doesn’t exactly scream the high life. Camping with kids can be great – glamping with kids just ain’t realistic!